London and Cardiff authorities take £58.2m fines from moving traffic offences

London and Cardiff see 25 per cent rise in money from fines for stopping in a yellow box junction, making an illegal turn or driving down a no entry

Yellow box junction

Authorities in London and Cardiff fined drivers £58.2 million in 2018/19 for committing moving traffic offences, including stopping in a yellow box junction, making an illegal turn or driving down a no entry.

The data - which came from a Freedom of Information request issued by the RAC to Transport for London (TfL), all London boroughs and Cardiff council - showed a 25 per cent rise in revenue from penalty charge notices (PCNs) issued for moving traffic offences between 2016/17 and 2018/19.

The total number of PCNs issued rose 34 per cent - this indicates some may have been successfully appealed, as the revenue increase is lower.

Yellow box junctions bring in the most money, accounting for £31.4 million from PCNs in 2018/19. By comparison, illegal turns resulted in £22.3 million coming in, while £4.4 million came in from vehicles driving through no entry signs.

London boroughs alone issued 933,263 PCNs in 2018/19 - up 27 per cent on 2016/17. Cardiff issued 74,142 - nearly four times as many as the 19,080 in 2016/17.

In London, Westminster recorded the highest figure for a single yellow box junction, which generated £333,295 from 4,595 PCNs in 2018/19. TfL got £10 million from yellow box junction fines that year, as well as £2.6 million from illegal turns.

Nicholas Lyes, head of roads policy at the RAC, said: “The Department for Transport has decided to extend enforcement powers to other local authorities. However, we believe guidance should be issued setting out where enforcement should be targeted and the types of signs that must be used to make drivers aware that enforcement cameras are operating, and for what type of moving traffic offence.

“It should also make clear the circumstances in which a PCN can be appealed and where mitigating circumstances may apply such as stopping in a yellow box to allow an emergency services vehicle to go by.

“We welcome proposals that first offenders are sent a warning letter before subsequent penalties apply. This is particularly important where changes are made to urban road layouts. What we do not want is this being seen by cash-strapped local authorities as a way to generate revenue.

“In addition, we would urge local authorities to publish annual reports of moving traffic offence receipts by type and by junction. We would also encourage them to monitor hot spots where an unusually high proportion of PCNs are issued as this is more than likely a clear indication of a problem with signage or road layout.”

Click here to learn about the UK's speed camera tolerances...

Recommended

UK passes major milestone with 10,000 EV rapid charge points
Rapid charger
News

UK passes major milestone with 10,000 EV rapid charge points

EV drivers have more charging choices than ever, and the roll-out rate continues to gather pace says Zapmap
7 Dec 2023
Electric car registrations slow despite overall new car sales growth
SMMT new car registration - total for November 2023
News

Electric car registrations slow despite overall new car sales growth

Pure-electric car take-up was steady in November 2023 with plug-in hybrids surging in popularity
5 Dec 2023
UK car thefts hit an all-time high with keyless car tech to blame
Thief breaking in to car
News

UK car thefts hit an all-time high with keyless car tech to blame

Car theft is at record levels in the UK according to data from LV insurance
4 Dec 2023
UK firm fitting ‘pop bang’ aftermarket exhausts fined in landmark court case
MINI Hatch exhaust
News

UK firm fitting ‘pop bang’ aftermarket exhausts fined in landmark court case

A successful court action against a workshop advertising and fitting non-standard exhaust parts is ‘a lesson for businesses’ from the DVSA
23 Nov 2023

Most Popular

New Jaguar XF Sportbrake 2024 review: big estate with value boost
Jaguar XF Sportbrake - front tracking
Road tests

New Jaguar XF Sportbrake 2024 review: big estate with value boost

Jaguar's XF Sportbrake may be 8 years old but it just got a whole lot cheaper!
7 Dec 2023
New Nissan Qashqai to get radical look and all-electric power
Nissan Qashqai exclusive image - front
News

New Nissan Qashqai to get radical look and all-electric power

Major investment in Nissan’s Sunderland plant underpins the new fourth-generation Qashqai
8 Dec 2023
Deal of the Day: Volkswagen ID. Buzz brings retro-style and practicality for £311 per month
Volkswagen ID. Buzz - front cornering
News

Deal of the Day: Volkswagen ID. Buzz brings retro-style and practicality for £311 per month

All-electric MPV offers style and substance - making it our Deal of the Day for Wednesday 6 December
6 Dec 2023