Bromley council made £2.5m in a year from yellow box junction fines

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

A council made more than £2.5million last year by fining drivers for stopping in yellow box junctions, with one councillor claiming the authority sees motorists as a “cash cow”.

Bromley council made £2.59m in 2022, with more than 70 per cent of the fines being attributed to just five junctions, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

The council issued 25,425 fines to drivers breaking the rule across the borough in that year.

The number is more than 10 times more than it was in 2021, with 2,427 fines being issued in that time frame.

Of the fines last year, 18,255 are attributed to five yellow box junctions across Bromley, with three of these junctions being beside railway stations.

The highest on the list, a junction between Croydon Road and Langley Road in Elmers End, saw 8,118 fines being given out in 2022.

Labour councillor Jeremy Adams, who represents the Clock House ward, said: “[This] research highlights how Bromley council is using Elmers End junction as a stealth tax on motorists – with signposting invisible to oncoming motorists, behind a bus stop.

“The Conservatives claim to be on the side of motorists – but this obscene volume of fines from just one camera shows they see motorists as a cash cow.”

The fine for a motorist caught stopping in a yellow box junction on CCTV is a maximum of £130. This charge is halved if the fine is paid within two weeks.

Conservative Councillor Colin Smith, leader of Bromley council, said: “There are 32 boroughs in London, 21 Labour controlled, six Conservative controlled, three Liberal Democrats, one Independent and one with No Overall Control. Every single one of them has adopted the same power, with Bromley being the 32nd and very last to do so.

“Bromley is also one of only four Conservative boroughs to legally challenge the Labour Mayor Khan’s outrageous ULEZ tax of £12.50 a day. Neither are the actions of a council intent on fleecing the motoring public I would suggest.”

Drivers wishing to challenge the charge also had difficulties. Data from the council showed that of the 5,100 fines that drivers opposed, only 1,775 were scrapped.

Following the top spot, 3,229 fines were issued to drivers at the junction on Bromley Road at Shortlands station. The junction between the High Street and the police station beside Bromley South station was next on the list, with 3,050 charges.

The final two spots can be found on Crofton Road at Orpington station and Cray Avenue and Cray Valley junction in St Mary Cray, amounting to 2,072 and 1.786 fines respectively.

Pictured top: The yellow box junction at Langley Road and Croydon Road accounted for the most fines in 2022 (Picture: Google Street View)