Fine mess: City costs could soar if the proposals are agreed. Pic: © STV
Parking fines in Scottish cities could soon grow to £100.
Holyrood ministers are reported to be backing plans to increase the current £60 penalty in areas where parking is controlled by local authorities - including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Perth.
The proposals would help councils meet a funding gap for their parking operations.
A consultation document from the Scottish Government's transport directorate says: "Scottish ministers' goal of local authorities operating self-financing parking operations is becoming less realistic as the cost of parking enforcement rises.
"Ministers now propose issuing revised guidance allowing participating local authorities the option to introduce two higher rates of penalty charge notice - £80 (discounted to £40 if paid within 14 days) and £100 (discounted to £50 if paid within 14 days)."
The consultation is due to close in June.
Hugh Bladon, of the Association of British Drivers, told the Sunday Post: "Car owners do not have a bottomless pit of cash to throw at taxes and fines, and I don’t think they will stand for this outrageous increase."
Councils claim the current rate of £60, reduced to £30 if paid within two weeks, is not high enough to stop illegal parking.
Local authorities took over the administration of many parking regulations from police traffic wardens under a law introduced in 1997.
But costs have since risen substantially, and the report also said that the number of cases being taken to adjudication was also rising.
A Scottish Government spokesman said the change had been requested by councils operating decriminalised parking enforcement and added: "We are consulting on these proposals."
