A single yellow box netted a London council fines of up to £1 million in just 12 months, with critics labeling the scheme a ‘hidden tax’ on local motorists.
The ‘cash cow’ traffic marker in Elmers End is the borough of Bromley’s largest yellow box earner.
Located on Croydon Road, it was designed to prevent nearby traffic lights from becoming too busy, allowing motorists to take a small side road, Langley Road.
It currently averages 22 drivers a day, or 8,118 a year by 2022, with each fine costing a driver £130.
It means it could have raised Bromley Council £1,055,340 in just 12 months. The fine is halved if the driver pays within two weeks, but that would still have left the authority £527,670.
The yellow box is designed to prevent motorists blocking other cars from turning left onto Croydon Road
Bromley Council made up to £1 million in fines from a single yellow box (pictured) at Elmers End in just 12 months
Bromley Council issued 18,255 yellow box fines in just five places in 2022, amounting to a maximum of £2.3 million.
All in all, the authority handed out 25,425 fines last year worth £2.59 million and 70 per cent came from just five boxes.
The figure is more than ten times the previous year, when 2,427 were handed out.
The yellow box caught an average of 22 drivers a day, or 8,118 a year by 2022 – with each fine costing a driver £130
The rules of the Traffic Management Act give authorities across England the power to issue fines for offenses detected using a camera and recording equipment.
The one by the Elmers End yellow box is on a tall pole opposite a kiosk.
It was the junction most likely to hit drivers last year, followed by 3,229 fines for those driving into one on Bromley Road close to Shortlands Station, while a further 3,050 charges were issued to those who drove into a box. next to Bromley South station.
The last two top spots can be found on Crofton Road at Orpington Station and Cray Avenue and the Cray Valley junction at St Mary Cray, representing 2,072 and 1,786 fines.
Bromley was the last of all London boroughs to take over responsibility for enforcing moving traffic restrictions from the Met Police in 2021.
CCTV is used in the municipality to enforce school zigzag restrictions, bus lane violations, no right, left, and U-turns, no vehicle access roads, yellow intersections, and vehicle type access restrictions.
Labor councilor Jeremy Adams, who represents the nearby Clock House ward, said the yellow box fines were a “hidden tax” on motorists.
He added: ‘The Conservatives claim to be on the side of motorists – but this obscene amount of fines from just one camera shows they see motorists as a cash cow.’
Cllr Nicholas Bennett (Con), Executive Councilor for Transport, Highways & Road Safety, said: ‘The council has no desire to issue fines as Bromley is the last council in London to take over this responsibility from the police.
All in all, the authority handed out 25,425 fines last year worth £2.59 million and 70 per cent came from just five boxes
The marking is designed to prevent nearby traffic lights from becoming too crowded, allowing motorists to take a small side road
“When enforcement only started 18 months ago, this was published, with information also published on the council’s website and the various rules contained in the road code.”
Regarding the interchange at Elmers End, he added: ‘While the boxes are correctly marked, after moving the bus stop further from the interchange I have approved the installation of an additional sign behind where the buses stop.
“There is a cost to this work, but as with parking, any surplus actually directly supports transportation-related work.”
A recent report from the RAC found that there were problems with 90 per cent of yellow box intersections, leading to unfair fines for motorists.
Where 27 councils in England want to enforce 111 yellow box intersections
Medway Council (4)
- Rock Avenue junction with the A2, Gillingham
- A2 Watling Street, junctions with Ash Tree Lane and Canterbury Street, Gillingham
- Gibraltar Hill junction with A230 Maidstone Road, Chatham
- Cuxton Road, High Street junction with Gun Lane, Strood
County Council of Hertfordshire (2)
- Adderley Road where it joins The Causeway, Bishop’s Stortford
- Jackson Square car park exit, Bishop’s Stortford
Newcastle City Council (2)
- Christon Road / Great North Road (two on the same site)
Bradford City Council (2)
- Godwin Street and Westgate
- Godwin Street and Sunbridge Road
South Gloucestershire Council (12)
- Filton Roundabout A38 Gloucester Road North Junction with B4056 Southmead Road and A4174 Link Road Bypass (four at the same site)
- Hambrook roundabout, M32 junction 1 (four at the same location)
- Aztec West Roundabout, the A38 Gloucester Road junction with Park Avenue and Bradley Stoke Way (four at the same site)
The County Council of Gloucestershire (2)
- Bruton Way, junction with Market Parade, Gloucester
- Lansdown Road, junction with Parabola Road/Montpellier Street Cheltenham
Devon County Council (4)
- Exe Bridges, Exeter (several in the same location, estimated)
- Penn Inn, Newton Abbot Roundabout (several on the same site, estimated)
Bath and North East Somerset Council (1)
- Charles St/Monmouth Street, Bath
the Oldham council (7)
- A62 Manchester Street – northwest side of Manchester Street where the tram line crosses the road (two in the same location)
- B6194 Glodwick Rd at the intersection of Hamilton Street – opposite the back of the Hopwood House Surgery
- Huddersfield Road at the junction of Livesey Street – outside the Damasgo restaurant
- Huddersfield Road at the intersection of Holt Street south west – between the Weavers Arms and Minders Arms pubs
- A62 Manchester Road at the junction of Stanley Road and Ashfield Street – next to the Safestore Self Storage facility
- A62 Manchester Road at the junction with the M60 Junction 22
Manchester City Council (5)
- Great Ancoat Street / Oldham Road / Oldham Street
- Ashton Old Road/Chancellor Lane/Fairfield Street
- Kirkmanshulme Lane / Mount Road
- Stockport Road junction with Dickenson Road and Stanley Grove
- Palatine Road / Princess Parkway
Liverpool City Council (4)
- New Quay / George’s Dock Gates / St Nicholas Place / Chapel Street northbound
- New Quay / George’s Dock Gates / St Nicholas Place / Chapel Street southbound
- St Anne Street outside Liverpool Fire Station
- Whitechapel/Hood Street/Crosshall Street
Buckinghamshire council (2)
- Gerrards Cross – Packhorse Road junction with Station Road
- High Wycombe – Marlow Hill junction with School Close
Bedfordshire Central Council (1)
- Church Street at the junction with White Lion Retail Park service road, Dunstable
County Council of Hampshire (2)
- Leigh Road junction with M3 Southbound Slip Road, Eastleigh
- A3057 Alma Road, Romsey (outside fire station)
Kent County Council (2)
- Junction 1b Princes Road Interchange, North East Section, Dartford
- Junction 1b Princes Road Interchange, south west section, Dartford
County Council of Oxfordshire (5)
- Botley Exchange
- Hinksey Hill Interchange (four at the same site)
Reading City Council (17)
- Junction of London Street with Queen’s Road
- Oxford Road junction with Bedford Road
- Oxford Road junction with Grovelands Road
- Crossing Kerkstraat with Kerkweg
- The Oracle Gyratory (three in the same location)
- Junction of London Road with Eldon Road and Craven Road
- Junction of Queens Road and Sidmouth Street
- Junction of Kings Road with Orts Road and Eldon Road
- Junction of Wokingham Road with London Road
- Junction of London Road with Cholmeley Road
- Junction of London Road with Kendrick Road
- Junction of A33 and Rose Kiln Lane
- Intersection of Bath Road and Berkeley Avenue
- Junction of Bath Road and Burghfield Road
- Junction of A329 and A33
Surrey County Council (2)
- Dennis Roundabout, Guildford (two on the same site)
Trafford Council (7)
- White City Circle (A56 Chester Road / Regent Road roundabout) (three at the same site)
- A56 northbound from Junction 7 of the M60 to the A56 (four at the same site)
municipality of Leiden (2)
- St Peter’s Street / Duke Street / York Street – city centre
- Stanningley Road / Armley Ridge Road – Armley
Wokingham City Council (1)
- Eastampstead Road, Wokingham
walsall CouncilI (3)
- Littleton Street West at New College Way and Wisemore (two on the same site)
- Littleton Street West at Stafford Street
municipality of Salford (4)
- Chapel Street/Trinity Way
- Regent Road / Oldfield Road
- Entrance to Chorley Road / Civic Centre
- Irwell Street/Trinity Way
Herefordshire Town Council (8)
- A438/A49 Junction (Steels), Hereford
- A438 Eign Street/Aldi Junction, Hereford
- A49 Edgar Street / Tesco Roundabout, Hereford
- A49 Victoria Street / Barton Road, Hereford
- Blueschool Street, Hereford
- Commerce Road / Stonebow Road, Hereford
- Commercial Road / Union Walk, Hereford
- Commercial Square (outside The Kerry), Hereford
Sheffield City Council (3)
- Queens Road and Bramall Lane
- Glossop Road and Upper Hanover Street
- Hoyl Street
North Northamptonshire Council (4)
- Kettering – London Road / St Mary’s Road
- Kettering–London Road / Bowling Green Road
- Rushden – Main Street / Church Street
- Rushden – Newton Road / Rectory Road
Leicester City Council (3)
- Abbey Street/Gravel Street yellow box junction
- Vaughan Way / Causeway Lane yellow junction
- The Southgates underpass merges with Vaughan Way
Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on it, we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money and use it for free. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to compromise our editorial independence.
