City fines yellow box junction rulebreakers £450k

The Highway Code states that drivers must not enter the box until their exit road or lane is clear

Drivers caught breaking the rules around yellow box junctions in Manchester have been fined a combined £450,000 in a year, new figures show.

London was the only part of England where drivers could be fined for box junction breaches until the Government introduced new legislation in May 2022.

Data obtained by the RAC revealed English councils issued 32,748 penalty charge notices (PCNs) in relation to 36 junctions outside of London in 2024, with drivers paying a total of £998,640.

Manchester City Council, which issued 13,130 PCNs in relation to six junctions, said Highway Code rules for the junctions were needed to "prevent gridlock" in busy parts of the city.

Yellow box road markings are used to try ensure traffic flows smoothly through busy junctions.

The Highway Code states that drivers must not enter the box until their exit road or lane is clear, unless they are turning right and have only stopped because of oncoming traffic.

Those who break the rules can be fined up to £70, with the amount being reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days.

'Period of grace'

The Local Government Association said all councils "follow guidance to ensure motorists are treated fairly" and there were "processes for appeal if anyone believes they have been unfairly fined".

The data, which was issued to the RAC after Freedom of Information requests, showed a small number of drivers had appealed against yellow box fines.

The highest percentage was in Manchester, where 18% of those fined made an appeal.

Manchester City Council said enforcement cameras at box junctions were well signposted and advertised and had been put in place to "act as a deterrent" against drivers making illegal turns or blocking the road.

It said a "six-week period of grace" was also implemented, with any first offenders within the first six months only sent warning letters.

Rod Dennis, from the RAC, said he believed some councils were using the junctions as a "revenue-raising opportunity".

He said "very few people set out to deliberately flout the rules and get fined" and he believed the "large number of penalties being dished out over a small number of locations and in a short space of time should send alarm bells ringing in council offices".

"It's vital box junctions are used in the correct places and are only as big as absolutely necessary," he added.

"They must be fairly set up so that drivers don't find themselves stranded through no fault of their own."

Additional reporting by PA Media