Drivers raging as £450k raked in from yellow box junction in 8 months | UK | News
A yellow box junction has generated a staggering £450,000 in revenue in just eight months, with drivers repeatedly flouting the rules. Between January and August this year the junction generated just over £450,000 from drivers illegally entering the yellow box, often unknowingly.
At the junction in Kingston-upon-Thames, South West London, there are two yellow boxes side by side, just before the traffic lights, which are large enough to accommodate two small cars.
To help keep traffic moving on busy roads, the Highway Code bans drivers from entering the yellow box until they can pass over it without needing to stop.
Residents of the area reported that they were “constantly hooting, screaming and shouting” as drivers failed to comply with the system and fines increased. A local who runs Real Butchers next to the yellow bins said he saw five drivers get stuck in the yellow grid in just 25 minutes on Wednesday morning.
he said Times: “This isn’t about traffic control, it’s a cash cow. The Local Government won’t change anything because it makes them money.”
The council issued 6,568 penalty notices (PCNs) for the junction, amounting to around 27 penalties per day. It cost drivers a total of £451,405 in PCNs, according to a Freedom of Information Act investigation.
Many people believe that penalties are unfair and that drivers are often punished for the mistakes of others. The two yellow boxes at the Kingston Road intersection have been in place since 2015, but enforcement and penalties were not implemented until July 2020.
Since April, the yellow box junction fine has been £160 in all London boroughs, reducing to £80 if paid within the first 14 days. Outside the capital it is £70, it drops to £35.
The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames said all income from PCNs was ring-fenced for basic traffic and parking management.
A spokesman said: “These two yellow box junctions exist to prevent traffic from blocking each junction and to allow vehicles to enter and exit side roads and provide a clear view of pedestrians and cyclists to motorists turning directly onto Elm Road, improving the safety of all road and pavement users.”
