Drivers blocking yellow boxes at three Bristol junctions to face fines

Drivers could soon be fined for wrongly stopping in yellow box junctions at three major junctions north of Bristol after South Gloucestershire Council applied for new enforcement powers.

The local authority wants to take over responsibility from the police to install traffic cameras and clamp down on motorists illegally queuing at Hambrook roundabout, under junction one of the M32, and Aztec West and Filton roundabouts, both on the A38 Gloucester Road.

It will also target a “high level of abuse” by drivers ignoring part-time no-entry signs where Kenmore Drive meets Kenmore Crescent in Filton, which is used as a rat-run to avoid the B4056 Southmead Road.

Bristol City Council cabinet last month agreed to use similar new powers to enforce “moving traffic” offences, such as banned turns or driving the wrong way down a one-way street, which are available to local authorities following a recent change in the law.

South Gloucestershire is following suit by asking the Department for Transport (DfT) for permission to issue fixed penalties, which would be £70 or £35 if paid within 21 days, and has launched a public consultation, which closes on January 30.

It said on its website: “South Gloucestershire Council is proposing to adopt powers to help improve road safety, tackle congestion and support both public transport and active travel by enforcement of moving traffic contraventions.”

The authority said each offence would be captured by automatic number plate recognition cameras but would be “subject to further human review to ensure that action taken is proportionate and not automatically generated”.

It said the crackdown could be extended to other sites in future, which would not require further permission from the DfT but would need additional public consultation.

The council said: “Profiting from enforcement is not an aim of enforcing moving traffic offences.

“We are applying for these powers to make a positive difference to the highway network, and not as a source of income.”

The money from fines will fund the scheme’s costs and any surplus can be spent on public transport or highway improvements but it cannot be used to pay for routine highway maintenance or other council services.

“It is envisaged that this enforcement will be rolled out to more sites from 2023 onwards, but only at locations where there is a need,” it added.

The current consultation is here: https://consultations.southglos.gov.uk/MTE/consultationHome