Councils have hit motorists with fines worth more than £200m for driving in low-traffic eco-zones, the Mail can reveal, amid fury over Sadiq Khan’s knighthood.
Almost two million penalty notices have been handed out to drivers in London in just two and a half years for entering low traffic neighborhoods (LTN).
The number and total value of fines has doubled from 2019 to 2022, when London councils imposed 1.1 million fines worth up to £95 million.
Since the pandemic, low-traffic neighborhoods have emerged throughout the capital, but they have proven highly controversial.
They use certain streets as thoroughfares, often with bollards or planters, and many have license plate recognition cameras to detect drivers who ignore them.
Critics say they cause more congestion on nearby roads, but Sir Sadiq has defended them, insisting they are good for pedestrians and cyclists.
Yesterday’s announcement that he had been awarded a knighthood in the New Year Honors sparked furious claims that it was a “reward for failure”, with Conservatives pointing to high knife crime, increases in municipal taxes, congestion charges and emissions taxes.
According to new data obtained through freedom of information requests from the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) to all London councils, 1.96 million penalty notices have been served since the start of the 2022/23 financial year.
In just two and a half years, almost two million fines have been handed out to drivers in London for entering low traffic neighborhoods (LTN).
Sadiq Khan. The number and total value of fines has doubled from 2019 to 2022, when London councils issued 1.1 million fines worth up to £95 million.
Offending drivers are usually fined £130 for each incident, although costs are often halved, up to £65, if paid quickly.
The total value of the fines is estimated at £229.8 million, according to TPA calculations. Combined with successful challenges and unpaid fees, the total revenue raised was £85.7 million, according to the data provided.
It represents an increase on 2019-22, when the capital’s councils imposed 1.1 million fines worth up to £95 million.
In 2021/22 alone, £68.1 million was raised compared to £91.8 million in 2022/23, an increase of a third. However, more town councils responded to the last request than on the previous occasion.
The data will fuel criticism of Sir Sadiq’s time at City Hall.
Last night the TPA said motorists would be “furious” at the way the LTN plans have been fast-tracked.
The campaign group urged councils to reform the system so that fines are only imposed after multiple warnings, rather than being used as “get-rich-quick schemes”.
Hackney Council issued the most penalty notices of all the councils that responded, handing out just under 400,000. It also raised the most revenue in the two and a half years: £14.4 million.
Half of Hackney’s entire area is covered by an LTN, more than any other London borough. The council says the zones “help reduce traffic and emissions by encouraging people to walk, cycle or take public transport”.
A cyclist passes planters blocking a road for cars in a low traffic neighborhood (LTN)
Enfield, north London, after residents said they have experienced crime and road safety problems for years as a result of two low traffic neighborhoods (LTN)
Haringey has imposed 311,975 LTN fines since the start of the 2022/23 financial year, while Lambeth has imposed 247,948.
(Must keep) Elliot Keck, head of TPA campaigns, told the Mail: ‘Motorists will be furious at the way low-traffic neighborhood schemes have accelerated in recent years as cash-starved councils They are increasingly looking for ways to squeeze taxpayers.
‘This can be seen in the significant increase in the value of fines issued to often unsuspecting drivers.
“If councils want LTNs to be seen as productive contributions to local neighborhoods rather than get-rich-quick schemes, then they should drastically reform the system to ensure that fines are only imposed after multiple warnings and after a grace period. prolonged”.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: ‘Low traffic neighborhoods (LTNs) are set up by boroughs to help improve air quality in London, allow more people to walk and cycle and make London’s roads safer.
“Overall, research shows that well-planned LTNs do not simply move traffic from one place to another, but lead to an overall reduction in the number of motor vehicles on the roads.”
The council added that research suggests LTNs reduce road casualties, support a large increase in people walking and cycling, reduce crime and allow young people to be more active.
Twenty-six of London’s 33 councils responded to the data request.
