Scotland's council allegedly attacked drivers with a parking fine of more than £25m, while “effectively causing” dogs to contaminate and litter.
Figures obtained from local authorities in the country show that they issued more than 600,000 parking fines worth £25.1 million in fiscal year 2023-24.
But during the same period, only 273 dog owners were fined for failing to clean up their pets, with the total fines for Scotland totaling £9,700.
Less than 2,000 people were fined for littering, and half of Scotland's 32 councils were not fined at all. Two local authorities – Glasgow and North Lanarkshire – are responsible for the vast majority of the £78,580 fines issued in Scotland.
Overall, nearly £2,600 for every £1 dog crime fine and about £320 for every £1 garbage fine.
Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr, who obtained the numbers, said they showed that most local authorities have “effectively legalized” litter and dog fouls.
He added that the council was “very eager to participate in the SNP war against motorists”, which was the 605,512 parking fines in a year.
Local authorities insist that they are taking dog contamination and litter seriously, but noted that they are “observable crimes” and asked witnesses to issue a fixed fine notice (FPN).
The figures were released after 20 years of rising tax rates in Scotland's largest parliamentary rate, with an average household facing a growth of 9.6%.
But auditors said they still face a £647 million black hole this year due to public sector wage requirements, increased national insurance contributions from employers and “strengthening demand for services.”
A report released last week said they were trying to make up for the shortage by introducing more allegations, hiking council taxes and using reserves.
But Mr Kerr said that despite being responsible for issuing dog fines since 2002, the Council has not made much money from dog pollution fines.
“These data are absolutely shocking – it’s clear now that most councils effectively legalize litter and dog pollution.
“While they are happy to raise council taxes for hard-working Scots, they seem completely unwilling to raise a penny from those who are actually responsible for polluting our community.”
He added: “In Scotland, it's worse to park for a few minutes than to make a garbage or dog mess on the sidewalk.”
Mr Kerr questioned why other councils did not follow the leadership of Glasgow and North Lanark County Councils, which are 88% of the garbage fines issued at the Scotland Council between 2023 and 2024.
Stephen Kerr said the Scots faced a 15% parliamentary tax, while the council was “not willing to raise a penny from the garbage”.
Glasgow fines of £1,207, £48,080, and North Lanark County fines of £20,880. However, 30 other local authorities across Scotland issued only 239 fines to the garbage, generating £9,620 in revenue.
Aberdeen, Highlands, Perth and Kingross and the Scottish Border Commission are 16 that have no fines at all in the year.
Glasgow City Council is also responsible for the largest number of dog pollution fines, 81 fines worth £3,340. The Fife Council was second, fined at £1,360. However, 13 local authorities did not fine dog pollution, and another eight people fined five or less.
Edinburgh City Council has earned its most income from parking fines, with 174,033 fines over £8.1 million. Glasgow issued more fines, receiving more than £6.3 million from 184,957 fines issued by drivers in the city.
Among other councils that issued parking fines of more than £1 million, Aberdeen attacked motorists in nearly £1.5 million, while Dundee collected nearly £1.3 million in fines.
Eight local authorities rely on Scottish police to issue penalties, so there is no fine. These figures do not include revenues in the Low Emission Zones (LEZs) operating in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
What appeared on the weekend was that Glasgow's Lez produced a fine of over £1.7m from drivers of cars that did not meet their emission standards, as it was introduced two years ago.
A spokeswoman for Aberdeen City Council said: “After citizens’ appeals for action against criminals, city administrators were helped to help address dog pollution and litter.
“The Aberdeen City Council has reached an agreement with the National Law Enforcement Solution that gives them the right to issue fixed fine notices to those who litter, or not pick up the mess of dogs.”
Dawn Jamie, security community manager for Fife's committee, said: “Dog crimes and messy needles are observable crimes, so in order to be able to issue a fixed penalty notice, we must witness the act of the bill, or have the public willing to make a formal statement to enable us to take any action.
“For dog pollution, we also need to know that when attacking, when a fixed fine is issued, the dog is responsible for the identity of the dog.”
Glasgow and Edinburgh City Council and Scotland's local authorities conference did not respond to requests for comment. The Scottish government has contacted for comment.
