NEW enforcement powers that will see drivers penalised for traffic offences at two key city centre junctions will come into force next week.
Leicester City Council has been granted permission from the Department for Transport to use camera enforcement at two yellow box junctions close to St Margaret’s Bus Station, using legislation that allows councils to deal with so-called moving traffic offences.
The new powers will allow the council to enforce traffic offences at the junction of Abbey Street and Gravel Street, and the junction of Vaughan Way and Causeway Lane.
Both junctions regularly become blocked by motorists who break the law by entering the boxes without being able to exit, disrupting bus services, blocking emergency vehicles and potentially causing gridlock.
Camera enforcement of both junctions will come into effect from Monday 27 May 2024.
For an initial period of six months, first offences will result in drivers being issued with a warning notice.
Subsequent contraventions will result in drivers being issued with a penalty charge notice. This will be charged at £70, or at discounted rate of £35 if paid within 21 days.
From late November, all contraventions recorded at the two junctions will result in the issue of a penalty charge notice.
The enforcement cameras will be in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “These new ‘London-style’ camera-enforced yellow box junctions will be among the first outside the capital, where they have been used for many years to the benefit of all road users.
“The clearly marked yellow box junctions are there to stop motorists from entering the junction unless their exit is clear, as set out in the Highway Code. The new enforcement powers mean we can take more responsibility for ensuring that traffic flows efficiently and safely, helping to tackle unnecessary obstructions and congestion at these important junctions.”
Under the Traffic Management Act 2004, councils can apply to the Government to take on the responsibility for traffic offences, by applying for a Designation Order. This gives councils powers to enforce areas such as box junctions, one-way streets, no-entry signs or other prohibited traffic movements, along with bus lanes, cycles lanes and pedestrian zones for example.
Results of a public consultation on the proposals, carried out in late 2022, showed that almost three quarters of respondents supported the introduction of camera enforcement at the two junctions.