Motorists are celebrating a win as a local council has reduced the size of a contentious yellow box junction that had accumulated nearly £2 million in fines, following significant criticism from drivers.
Located in Croydon, southeast London, this traffic feature has resulted in penalties of £160 for thousands of drivers since its inception in 2017.
Critics argued that the junction, which they said was excessively large, has now been downsized, with new ‘Keep Clear’ markings taking its place.
Sam Wright, also known as the Yellow Box Guru, discovered through a Freedom of Information request that the Addiscombe Road junction had brought in almost £2 million for the council.
Wright further shared that he assisted a driver in contesting a fine from this junction at a tribunal in March, after the initial appeal was denied by the council.
During the tribunal, a parking adjudicator determined that the yellow box was excessively large and fundamentally flawed, leading to the cancellation of the driver’s fine.
The adjudicator also ordered the local authority, which has declared bankruptcy since late 2020, to cancel any outstanding fines for the same reason.
Half of the yellow box extended across the private driveway of the No 1 Croydon office building.
Its positioning and size meant vehicles were forced to wait for unreasonable gaps at the end of the box to avoid being unfairly penalised.
Mr Wright, who uses knowledge from his previous Transport for London (TfL) job to help drivers fight fines, said the motorist contacted him after his video on the box became ‘popular’.
The traffic measure in Croydon, southeast London, (pictured) has landed tens of thousands of drivers with £160 fines since it was first painted back in 2017
Croydon council has since scaled back the yellow box on Addiscombe Road junction after a parking adjudicator ruled that the yellow box was ‘disproportionately large’
‘The box was twice as big as it needed to be. It extended outside an office block 50 per cent bigger than it needed to be,’ he said.
‘It’s good that it’s been cut back. I give credit to Croydon Council for doing something about it.’
An FOI request revealed that 26,244 fines of £160, translating to a revenue gain of around £1.9million, have been issued since the box was installed in January 2017.
Mr Wright, welcoming Croydon Council’s decision to remove part of the box, called on other London councils to follow suit.
‘Hundreds and maybe thousands of drivers will now be saved from the hassle of getting a ticket there,’ he said.
‘There’s nothing stopping other London councils from chopping back their dodgy boxes as well.’
A spokesperson for Croydon Council said the box was cut back following a review.
‘The Council values the feedback we receive from the community, and we closely monitor what people say about our public highways,’ they said.
‘We listened to this feedback and responded by conducting a review of the yellow box junction at East Croydon earlier this year.
‘The yellow box was installed decades ago and, as a result of the review, we have changed the road markings to include a reduced box junction and ‘Keep Clear’ road markings, to ensure the efficient flow of vehicles on the network.
‘The Council will continue to respond to residents while balancing its responsibilities for safety across its roads.
‘Motorists can contact the council’s highways and parking team if they have queries or concerns re this box junction, and we will review each query on a case-by-case basis.’
