Drivers fined £1m from 36 new yellow box junctions
RAC research has revealed that just 36 newly enforced yellow box junctions cost drivers nearly £1m in fines in 2024.
Yellow box junctions are areas marked with yellow criss-cross lines on the road. Drivers are fined if they stop within the box.,
Only councils in London and Cardiff would enforce yellow box junction contraventions before May 2022, but 27 other local authorities applied for enforcement powers and a Freedom of Information request by the RAC has revealed that cameras have since been added to 36 yellow box junctions.
Between them, these cameras led to 32,748 penalty charge notices being issued to drivers stopping in them in 2024 alone. PCNs are generally £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days of the notice being issued.
Manchester City Council issued 13,130 PCNs for infringements last year, the equivalent of 36 a day, leading to £446,706 in fine revenue, while Medway Council in Kent issued 4,433 PCNs raising £145,162.
Yellow box junctions
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: “The enormously high number of penalty charge notices being raised in just a few council areas suggests things are awry. 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.
“Not every council now enforcing yellow boxes is generating a huge amount of money from fines. In fact, a small number of fines – and a small number of appeals – indicates a yellow box that’s working as it should. This should be the ambition behind any yellow box that a council is looking to start enforcing, rather than being seen as a revenue-raising opportunity.
“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. Sadly, we are aware of several locations where this isn’t the case.”
