The Scottish Government’s controversial Low Emission Zone plans have cost the taxpayer a whopping £36 million- and they are not even up and running yet.

A brainchild of the SNP, it allows councils to ban certain cars from being driven in city centres to stop them from emitting poisonous fumes and damaging the environment.

Four local authorities have so far signed up to introduce them, with Glasgow due to do this in June 2023, and Dundee, Edinburgh and Aberdeen following suit in June 2024.

Motorists driving diesel cars registered before 2015 or running on unleaded and made before 2006 will be banned from driving in the city centres.

If they do head into the city centre then they will be fined, with penalties starting at £60 and doubling for every further breach within 90 days ip to a maximum of £480, with cameras snapping rule-breakers.

In total, preparation to set up the zones has cost Transport Scotland £36,179,534. That includes grants given to councils to help them run the scheme.

This included substantial spending on bureaucracy, including communications and consultancy support. The bill for that since 2018 was more than £800,000.

Want to see more SNP fails? – Politics Matters