Traffic enforcement measures taking effect during first month

More than 800 motorists have been warned about flouting road restrictions at a congested Northampton junction in the first month of enforcement measures to help keep traffic moving there.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is issuing 844 warning notices to drivers who have blocked the hatched yellow box at the junction of St John’s Street and Victoria Gardens since enforcement cameras went live at the start of this month (1 February). No Penalty Charge Notices have yet been issued.

During the first 17 days of the scheme, 597 warnings were issued, averaging around 35 per day. The end-of-month total of 844 warning notices shows the number of offences is falling, to around 29 warnings per day.

The measures have been put in place to help reduce town centre traffic congestion after the Department for Transport (DfT) changed legislation to enable local authorities to apply for powers to enforce against moving traffic contraventions.

During the first six months of this site going live, a warning notice will be issued for first offences to any vehicle, and from 1 August onwards, anyone who breaches the rules at this site will receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) of £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days. Any money from future PCNs is ring-fenced and will be put back in to funding highways services and projects under the legislation.

Figures show that despite town centre diversions potentially causing additional traffic along St John’s Street, the majority of those drivers facing warning notices for blocking the yellow box were travelling away from the town centre on the Victoria Gardens gyratory system.

On 16 February, WNC also introduced enforcement at two other sites with the following number of warnings currently being issued:

• Right turns are not allowed from Fishponds Road into Great Billing Way – 812 warning notices
• Hermitage Way is a bus only route which is routinely used by other motorists – 88 warning notices