'Profits’ top £40 million
Local authorities in Scotland made a £40.3 million surplus or ‘profit’ from their parking activities in 2015-16.
This is 12% higher than in the 2014-15 financial year when £36.1 million was reported.
Data analysed for the RAC Foundation shows that between them, the 32 councils had a combined income from their parking activities – charges and penalty income from on- and off-street parking – of £79.3 million.
However, the combined cost for councils of running their parking activities was £39.0 million.
The difference between income and expenditure is the surplus of £40.3 million.
Once again Edinburgh had the largest surplus at £19.4 million (up from £17.4 million in 2014-15).
It was followed by Glasgow at £12.6 million (£11.4 million in 2014-15).
Aberdeen had the third largest surplus at £4.9 million (£4.5 million in 2014-15).
Between them these three local authorities generated 91% of the total net surplus in Scotland.
The analysis was carried out for the RAC Foundation by David Leibling. The data come from local authorities’ annual returns to the Scottish government.
