Cash-strapped Glasgow City Council has spent almost £1.5 million hiring replacement vehicles because its own fleet does not comply with the low emission zone it introduced two years ago.
The SNP-run administration has been forced to hire minibuses, vans, trucks, people carriers and cars to meet the LEZ rules that came into force in June 2023.
The council was charged £138,000 in hiring fees for the first three months of this year alone.
The current monthly sum is estimated to be more than £40,000 and is increasing.
Four cities in Scotland have Low Emission Zones in operation | PAThe financial burden comes as the council continues to face budget pressures.
Meanwhile, Labour-run City of Edinburgh Council has spent more than £350,000 on vehicle hires since introducing its LEZ enforcement last June.
The two cities have a combined spending average of around £1,900 a day of taxpayers' money to ensure their vehicles comply with their own rules.
Motoring expert Scott Dixon told the Daily Mail: "This hypocrisy lays bare the double standards at the heart of the LEZ scheme."
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Glasgow City Council has spent almost £1.5 million hiring replacement vehicles
| PAHe added: "How can councils justify preaching environmental responsibility while failing to meet their standards and justify burning through taxpayer cash to cover their non-compliance?"
Aberdeen and Dundee have also introduced LEZ measures aimed at reducing harmful pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide.
Drivers were forced to pay out £221,000 in fines to Glasgow City Council in the first three months of its scheme.
Fines are charged at £60 for a non-compliant vehicle, which can rise with non-payment.
LEZ prevents certain vehicles from entering zones for free | ABERDEEN CITY COUNCILScottish Tory transport spokesman Sue Webber said: "It defies belief that Glasgow and Edinburgh councils are still spending huge sums to hire vehicles because their fleet doesn't comply with their law."
A Glasgow City Council spokesman defended the practice, saying acquiring new cleaner vehicles was an "ongoing process."
They added: "Vehicle leasing is a routine feature of how we manage our fleet and can help us reduce costs while ensuring we meet our low emissions obligations."
Edinburgh's transport convener Stephen Jenkinson said most non-compliant vehicles had already been replaced, with the remainder expected this financial year.
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