Councils outside London will be given powers to enforce so-called moving traffic offences from December.

The Government confirmed the changes. These were initially outlined by Prime Minister, Boris Johnson last year. It is thought they will help encourage more people to opt out out of short distance car use in favour of walking and cycling.

The way ahead

The new enforcement powers will allow local authorities, rather than the police, to enforce against moving traffic offences. These include motorists disregarding one-way systems or entering mandatory cycle lanes.

Changes have already taken effect in London. Reports suggest it has significantly reduced police workload, allowing officers to prioritise more important matters. At the same time the changes are improving enforcement.

The proposal is that motorists receive a warning for a first offence, and fines for subsequent offences.

Localism

“Local authorities will need the tools to manage roads in the way that best serves local needs”. Baroness Vere, transport minister, believes this is key. Speaking at this week’s Traffex conference she commented that “this ethos of localism lies behind our decision to give more powers to local authorities under the Traffic Management Act”.

Raising funds

The RAC has used a freedom of information request to find out the results so far in local authorities that already have the powers. It finds that the London boroughs and Cardiff Council found revenue from issuing penalty charge notices (PCNs) to drivers have increased by 25% .

They raised £58.2m in 2018/19 for such offences as stopping on a yellow box junction, making an illegal turn or driving down a ‘no entry’ road. This is £11.5m more than in 2016/17 (£46.7m).

Fair fines

RAC spokesman Simon Williams welcomed the changes. However, he added that they are “fearful that some authorities may be over enthusiastic in using their new powers for revenue raising reasons”. This could have a negative impact on drivers, particularly those driving for work or vulnerable road users. “What’s really needed is clear guidance on making sure enforcement is always carried out fairly,” says Williams. “Drivers who blatantly ignore signage or highway rules should expect penalties, but there are instances which are not always clear-cut.” Large yellow box junctions can be particularly problematic to get across without stopping, often due to their design.

“It’s important common sense is applied rather than instantly issuing penalties to drivers”.

The RAC also wants councils to closely monitor the number of penalty charge notices issued. Very high volumes in one particular location can indicate something is wrong, with signage, road design or enforcement.