The double-box junction on Kingston Road in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames has emerged as one of the UK's most lucrative sources of penalty charge notices (PCNs), generating over £1,800 in fines daily. Between January and August 2024 alone, the council issued 6,568 fines at this particular junction, accumulating a staggering total of £451,405. This junction consists of two yellow box markings designed to prevent traffic gridlock by prohibiting drivers from entering unless their exit is clear. However, many drivers consider the fines unfair, especially when unexpected stops due to other vehicles force them into the box.

Local business owner Roland Head, who runs The Real Butchers adjacent to the junction, criticised the enforcement as a "cash cow," suggesting that financial incentives prevent meaningful changes to the junction. To deter risky manoeuvres, the council recently installed a bollard to stop drivers from driving onto the pavement to avoid fines. Under the Highway Code, drivers must not enter a yellow box unless they can clear it without stopping, except when turning right and waiting for oncoming traffic. Still, no minimum time is required to be stopped in the box before a penalty can be issued, raising concerns about fairness.

Despite ongoing controversy, the Royal Borough insists the boxes improve safety by preventing blockage and allowing clear sight lines for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists turning into side roads. The council also disputes claims of this junction being the highest earner in the UK since the fines stem from two boxes rather than one.

Beyond Kingston, 2024 has seen a significant rise in yellow box junction fines outside London and Cardiff, with just 36 yellow boxes generating nearly £1 million in revenue. Manchester City Council issued the most PCNs, issuing 13,130 fines that brought in £446,706, followed by Kent’s Medway Council with £145,162 from 4,433 fines, and Buckinghamshire Council with £139,798 from 3,618 fines. This contrasts sharply with counties like Gloucestershire and Leeds, where fines are minimal.

Industry voices, including RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis, have expressed concern about the overuse of fines for revenue rather than traffic control. Dennis warned councils that high volumes of fines across confined locations should ring alarm bells about the design and fairness of the junctions. The RAC suggests box junctions should be optimally sized and fairly enforced to prevent drivers from being trapped through no fault of their own. Supporting this view, engineer Sam Wright’s 2019 study commissioned by the RAC found that 98 out of 100 yellow boxes analysed in London and Cardiff were approximately 50% larger than necessary, potentially leading to unnecessary fines and traffic congestion.

With expanded government legislation allowing councils across England to enforce yellow box rules since 2022, the disparity in enforcement approaches has become more pronounced. While London and Cardiff had exclusive enforcement rights previously, other authorities have now joined in, with mixed results. Data shows an 8.5% increase in moving traffic offence PCNs, including yellow box violations, in London alone from 2022 to 2024, totalling approximately 3.45 million fines—roughly one for every three residents.

These developments highlight growing concerns over the balance between effective traffic management and fairness in enforcement. Motorists and experts alike call for reviews of yellow box junction designs and enforcement practices to ensure that these traffic control measures do not become unjust sources of revenue but continue to serve their intended purpose of keeping traffic flowing safely and efficiently.

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Source: Noah Wire Services