Concerns over fines for traffic offences
DRIVERS have raised concerns about councils including Wokingham Borough applying for permission for the power to enforce moving traffic offences by dishing out fines.
These include stopping in yellow box junctions, making banned turns and going the wrong way down oneway streets.
These offences are typically prosecuted by the police, but councils have been granted the opportunity to apply to enforce the offences themselves. Reading Borough Council is already doing this with box junctions on Kings Road.
The Department for Transport expects a Designation Order, which will include Wokingham Borough Council, to be laid next month and will come into force in July next year, subject to the approval of Parliament.
Drivers concerns have been raised about the council enforcing the powers in a survey commissioned by Confused.com.
The results of the survey showed that more than one in four (28%) of those polled say that traffic offences should be left to the police due to their knowledge and experience when dealing with motorists, while almost half (47%) of drivers are worried that councils are using this opportunity to make money, rather than focusing on improving road safety.
To receive the powers, the council had to submit a bid providing examples of where it would like to prosecute offences.
The council identified 11 sites in its submission:
Broad Street, Wokingham, at the junction with
Rose Street: Banned right turn Barkham Road rail crossing, Wokingham, at the junction with Oxford Road: Banned right turn
Station Road, Wokingham, at the junction with Station Approach: Banned right turn Wellington Road, Wokingham: Ahead only Gipsy Lane, Wokingham: Weight restriction Murdoch Road, Wokingham: Keep left
Goatley Way, Wokingham: One-way street Milton Road, Wokingham: Vehicles prohibited except buses
Easthampstead Road, Wokingham: Yellow box junction
Hyde End Lane, Spencers Wood, at the junction with Fullbrook Road: Buses only Whitlock Avenue, Wokingham: Banned right turn
Cllr Paul Fishwick (Liberal Democrats, Winnersh) said: “These sites were identified and selected by a review of complaints received, officer knowledge and feedback from the local police.
“These 11 sites were showing the highest level of driver noncompliance.”
If the powers are granted, drivers will be served with a penalty charge notice (PCN) for breaches of £70, reduced to £35 if paid early, or rising to £105 after a ‘charge certificate’ is served.
It is expected that drivers will initially get warnings for breaches for six months before being served PCNs.
The research from Confused. com found that 20% of drivers (one in five) have been penalised for a moving traffic offence in the past, one in seven (14%) admitted they’ve knowingly committed a moving traffic offence but have managed to avoid a fine.
Nearly one in five ( 15%) said they’re more likely to commit a traffic offence at night, when roads are quieter, and another 7% said they’d commit a moving traffic offence if there were no other cars around.
When asked which offences they were most likely to commit, one in five (20%) would be most likely to stop in a yellow box junction; followed by 13% of drivers being most likely to drive in a bus lane. Only 6% said they’d be most likely to drive through a red light.
The results from Confused.com come from a survey it commissioned from One Poll between December 30 and January 5.