Drivers face yellow box penalty blitz by town halls

TOWN halls are to be given extra powers to fine motorists for minor traffic offences – and keep the money to spend themselves.

Most local authorities outside London are unable to fine drivers for ‘moving traffic violations’ such as stopping in yellow box junctions. Instead, they have to rely on police.

But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps yesterday told MPs he was ready to grant all councils the right to issue penalty charges for the infringements. The move will raise fears that motorists will be treated as cash cows to fill gaps in council budgets.

The Commons transport committee warned earlier this year that police are too thinly stretched to enforce everyday traffic violations.

The MPs suggested councils should be allowed to issue fines, with the proceeds spent on tackling congestion and improving bus services. Mr Shapps told the committee yesterday: ‘I have been looking at powers outside of London provided

‘More revenue from motorists’

to local areas to do some of these things, and think that... I’ll shortly be making an announcement.’

Under the Traffic Management Act 2004, councils can apply for powers to tackle parking, bus lane contraventions and moving traffic violations – rather than police.

While the parking and bus lane powers have been taken up widely by councils, generating millions of pounds a year in revenue, those for moving traffic violations have not.

Transport for London has been enforcing yellow box junction contraventions in the capital for over 15 years. Road campaigners accuse the agency of targeting drivers to generate income from its £130 fines.

Nicholas Lyes of the RAC said: ‘Local authorities know where congestion might require some form of enforcement, particularly in the case of box junctions, so it stands to reason they should be able to improve this through the use of enforcement.

‘However, we remain concerned that cash-strapped authorities may see this as an opportunity to extract more revenue from drivers.’

In the 2017/18 financial year TfL collected up to £16million in fines for yellow box offences. But in many cases drivers claim they had no choice but to stop – either because of poor traffic light sequencing, or because of drivers ahead of them blocking their path.

The only council outside London which has the powers is Cardiff.