London councils plan to hike motoring fines - RAC reaction

Commenting on the news that councils in London have started consulting on increasing the penalties for contraventions like driving in bus lanes and stopping in yellow boxes, RAC head of policy Simon Williams said:

“We can see no justification whatsoever for putting up these fines. It’s bizarre that we’re now getting to the stage where a driver can be fined almost as much for an innocent mistake as they are for dangerously driving using a handheld mobile phone.

“There’s surely only one reason why any council would need penalty charge levels to rise to keep up with inflation – and that’s if they rely on the income they receive from drivers breaking the rules. This is inherently wrong and needs to change. Instead of relying on the revenue, councils should be trying to understand the reasons why people are being caught out and improving signage, but this is never going to happen as it would cost them money and reduce their income.

“This is also very much the case with yellow box junctions as many aren’t fit for purpose as they don’t comply with government guidance, meaning drivers end up getting fined needlessly.

“There also appears to be not a scrap of evidence that adding another £30 to what drivers pay if they drive in a bus lane or stop in a yellow box will make any difference when it comes to the number of contraventions as such a high proportion are innocent mistakes.”