A yellow box junction in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, has become the most lucrative in the UK, raking in nearly £450,000 in fines during the first eight months of 2025. Data obtained through a Freedom of Information request reveals the council issued 6,568 penalty charge notices (PCNs) from just two yellow boxes on Kingston Road—averaging about 27 fines a day. Local residents and business owners are growing increasingly disillusioned, with many arguing that the enforcement has shifted from traffic management to a revenue scheme designed to line local coffers at drivers’ expense. Roland Head, a local butcher whose shop is near the junction, told the Sunday Times that the council appears unlikely to reconsider the setup, given the substantial income it generates.

Motorists are equally frustrated, often caught between the need to stop unexpectedly due to other drivers’ errors or emergency vehicles, and the threat of hefty fines. Many argue the system unfairly penalizes those caught in circumstances beyond their control, raising serious doubts about whether congestion management truly takes precedence over financial gain. The Highway Code explicitly states that drivers should not enter a yellow box unless their exit is clear, a rule that’s supposed to prevent gridlock. Yet, in Kingston’s case, it seems the enforcement is more about revenue than safety, with money flowing directly into local government coffers — funds that, critics argue, could be better spent on genuine traffic improvement initiatives.

While Kingston’s example may seem specific, it’s part of a troubling pattern across the country. Outside London and Cardiff, enforcement of yellow box junctions generated nearly £1 million last year—£998,640, according to RAC data—highlighting a growing reliance on traffic fines as a revenue stream. Manchester City Council led the charge, issuing 13,130 PCNs and generating £446,706. The RAC has voiced concern that local authorities are increasingly turning to yellow box enforcement not merely as traffic safety tools but as cash cows, detracting from their original purpose and unfairly penalizing motorists struggling with complex urban traffic conditions.

The recent expansion of enforcement powers beyond the capital has only intensified the problem. Last year alone, nearly 33,000 drivers across ten local authority areas were fined almost £1 million, reflecting a concerning trend: traffic management measures being weaponized to boost municipal income instead of serving their intended purpose. Critics argue that this overzealous enforcement penalizes drivers unfairly, especially when they are halted due to other drivers' mistakes or emergency scenarios.

This ongoing saga exposes the broader failure of local authorities in balancing effective traffic regulation with responsible revenue collection. Instead of ensuring roads are safe and congestion is eased, many councils appear more interested in filling their budgets at the expense of ordinary drivers. It’s time for a serious reevaluation that prioritizes fairness and genuine safety over revenue — otherwise, the public will continue to see yellow box junctions not as tools for traffic management, but as the latest method for local governments to extract cash from hard-pressed motorists.

Source: Noah Wire Services