Reading: Yellow box junction fines scheme launches

The junction of Kings Road and Orts Road is one of the first to be affected

New rules to fine drivers who illegally stop in yellow box junctions have come into force in a Berkshire town.

The measures implemented on Monday apply to Reading's Kings Road and Orts Road junction and the nearby Kings Road and Eldon Road junction.

The scheme will be rolled out across another 13 sites by the autumn.

For the first six months, motorists blocking the yellow box junctions would be sent one initial warning notice, Reading Borough Council said.

All subsequent infringements would result in a £70 penalty charge notice, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras would be used to snap motorists who breach the rules.

The authority said the move was intended to increase road safety and reduce congestion and poor air quality.

The rules will apply at existing yellow box junctions in Reading

The 15 junctions that will be affected by the changes are "frequently blocked by motorists", the council said.

The junction of Oxford Road with Bedford Road, London Road with Eldon Road and Craven Road, as well as the junction of Bath Road and Berkeley Avenue, are among those earmarked for the scheme.

The warning notice period will continue for a period of six months from the date each junction goes live, the council said.

The measures come as the authority gained extra enforcement powers from the Department of Transport to bring in the fines.

The AA previously objected to the proposed policy over fears drivers could be fined unnecessarily.

Councillor Tony Page, the council's cabinet member for climate strategy and transport, said the illegal blocking of yellow box junctions had "a major impact" in Reading, from causing delays to road users to contributing to poor air quality.