UK drivers fined nearly £1million extra after new rule starts
Motorists were hit with fines totalling nearly £1 million from just 36 yellow box junctions last year, after local authorities were granted new powers to enforce the rules, according to figures. The RAC, which revealed the data following Freedom of Information (FoI) requests, commented that the "enormously high number" of penalty charge notices (PCNs) should "send alarm bells ringing in council offices".
Yellow box junctions are designed to keep traffic moving at busy intersections by ensuring drivers do not enter unless their exit is clear or they are turning right.
Previously, only London and Cardiff had the authority to fine drivers for yellow box offences, but new legislation introduced in May 2022 now allows all English councils to apply for these enforcement powers. The RAC's FoI request to English councils uncovered that 36 yellow boxes outside London and Cardiff were enforced over the past year.
The enforcement resulted in a staggering 32,748 PCNs being issued, leading to drivers shelling out £998,640. Typically, PCNs carry a £70 fine, which is halved to £35 if paid within 21 days.
A breakdown of the figures by the RAC showed that Manchester City Council topped the list for issuing the most PCNs, handing out 13,130 for six junctions, raking in £446,706 – almost half of the total revenue generated from yellow box fines outside London and Cardiff, reports Bristol Live.
Kent's Medway Council has come in second, raking in £145,162 after issuing 4,433 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for just five yellow box junctions it monitors. Buckinghamshire Council wasn't far behind, collecting £139,798 from 3,618 fines.
However, the single most lucrative spot was Dennis Roundabout in Guildford, Surrey, where drivers were hit with £81,445 in fines from 4,250 PCNs. In stark contrast, Gloucestershire County Council issued a mere 30 yellow box PCNs, totalling £945, and Leeds City Council handed out 50 fines, amassing £605.
Appeals against yellow box fines are relatively rare, with Manchester City Council area seeing the highest appeal rate at 18%. RAC's senior policy officer Rod Dennis commented that a yellow box yielding few fines suggests it is "working as it should", which should be the goal for councils rather than viewing them as a "revenue-raising opportunity".
He added: "Very few people set out to deliberately flout the rules and get fined. The large number of penalties being dished out over a small number of locations and in a short space of time should send alarm bells ringing in council offices.
"It's vital box junctions are used in the correct places and are only as big as absolutely necessary. They must be fairly set up so that drivers don't find themselves stranded through no fault of their own."
Chartered engineer Sam Wright, commissioned by the RAC, scrutinised the 100 most lucrative yellow box junctions in London and Cardiff from 2019. His findings, published in a report last year, revealed that 98 of them were oversized, not fitting their intended purpose of keeping crossing paths clear for traffic.
The research indicated that on average, these boxes were 50% larger than necessary. Medway Council's portfolio holder for community safety, highways and enforcement, Alex Paterson, insisted that the council's enforcement is "not about catching people out".
He highlighted that road markings have been updated so "nobody could reasonably claim not to have seen them".
Deputy leader of Buckinghamshire Council, Thomas Broom, commented on the region's congestion issues, noting that the volume of yellow box fines is "directly relates to the number of people who commit these traffic offences".
A representative for the Local Government Association stated: "All councils follow guidance to ensure motorists are treated fairly. There are processes for appeal if anyone believes they have been unfairly fined."
Manchester City Council was contacted for a response.
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