Councils get new powers to issue driving fines Bedford News

Changes to the law earlier this year allowed councils to apply to assume certain police powers and the transfer of authority is expected to take place on June 1.

From that date, any council that has applied to be the local ‘enforcement authority’ will be able to impose fines of up to £70 for a series of ‘traffic offences on the move’.

The change in authority is intended to ease pressure on police forces and make it easier for councils to enforce traffic rules.

This will allow them to issue fines to drivers who block yellow junctions, ride on cycle lanes, or ignore road instructions such as no entry or no left/right turns.

Announcing the planned change last year, Transport Minister Baroness Vere said it would give local authorities the right tools to “manage roads in the way that best suits local needs”.

The RAC said that while councils need powers to stop repeated breaches of the rules, poorly planned or enforced rules, particularly around joins, could result in “countless” unfair and unnecessary fines being issued.

The organisation’s road policy officer, Nicholas Lyes, said: ‘It is absolutely crucial that yellow junctions are enforced fairly and as things stand this may not be the case, which means that many drivers will be treated poorly and lose financially as a result. .”

There is currently no legal requirement for boards to meet the basic design criteria for yellow box junctions – which define the size and visibility of markings.

Mr Lyes said: ‘We have written to the Department for Transport asking them to update the guidance to make it clear to local authorities what the minimum standard for the design and condition of a front box junction should be to start the application, but they are adamant. the current guidelines are sufficient.

“We fear that failure to update the guidelines to include lessons learned from over 15 years of enforcement in London will lead to countless wrongful fines, an end to unnecessary stress for drivers who feel they have been treated unfairly and thousands wasted. council hours investigate calls.