Fulham's 'Money Box' Once Again Named London's Most Lucrative
Fines raised by Bagley's Lane box junction 'not ethically right'
Fulham's notorious "money box" - the yellow box junction of New Kings's Road and Bagley's Lane - has once again been named as London's most lucrative, raising £2,422,488 million in fines for Hammersmith and Fulham Council over the last 18 months.
A BBC report found that over the last seven years, the junction has earned the council £12 million in Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) fines.
The junction has hit the headlines numerous times over the last few years. In 2013, H&F council was accused of "highway robbery" and "using motorists as cash cows" after a BBC Panorama programme appeared to show officials congratulating each other for high levels of traffic fines.
Earlier this year it was called Britain's most lucrative by the Evening Standard, as figures showed it was raking in an average of £200 every hour.
Campaign groups and angry drivers have long complained about the phasing of traffic lights on either side, saying it creates a “trap” for motorists unfamiliar with the layout.
Richard Hayes of the Institute of Highway Engineers agreed, telling the BBC's Inside Out programme: "'Something is definitely wrong.
"'Should there be a lot of infringement, then I think there is something wrong with the installation.
"It should be fixed. Yes, we make a lot of money, but it's not working. I'm not sure I feel ethically that is the right way to take things forward.
"The situation isn't the box junction - it's the traffic flow ahead of the box junction that is causing the problem. 'We're very good at installing new installations. We're not very good at reviewing and reflecting on whether those installations are working properly."
Those caught face £65 fines which rise to £130 if not paid within two weeks.
H&F Council says that New King's Road is one of the busiest routes into London and told the BBC: "Seven million drivers navigate the junction each year without breaking the rules and getting a ticket."
However, Andrew Ashe, who has campaigned for better traffic management at Bagley's Lane, said the surrounding road infrastructure actively made the box junction very difficult to avoid entering.
"As the cars are coming through you will see one traffic light which is green, encouraging traffic into the box, and the other one is red, and then they are stuck," he said.
"My big concern is that the councils are allowed to keep the money themselves, this means they are motivated not to make improvements, because it's leading to massive abuse."
You can watch the report on Inside Out here.
October 5, 2016