The traffic enforcement camera that makes almost £100,000 a week: Furious motorists slam council over ‘poor signage’ as device racks up almost £900,000 in just TWO MONTHS as part of bid to improve air quality outside school
- Council banned drivers from turning left near London Fields Primary School
- ‘Poor signage’ and ‘a difficult road layout’ blamed as motorists are caught out
- Hackney Council has generated a whopping £898,235 in just a nine-week period
A local authority is raking in almost £100,000 a week by catching out thousands of motorists with a newly installed traffic enforcement camera.
Hackney Council banned drivers from turning left at a junction in east London in June in the hopes of reducing pollution at a nearby school.
‘Poor signage’ and a ‘difficult road layout’ have been blamed by motorists for the small fortune the council has amassed.
As of August 10 the authority had dished out nearly 14,000 fines.
With the cost of a fine standing at £65 if paid within two weeks, the council has generated a whopping £898,235 for itself in a nine-week period.
This works out at nearly £100,000 every week – or £14,000 a day.
A car turns left at the junction from Mare Street to Richmond Street in east London. Motorists caught going left are handed a £65 fine. Instead they should continue forward along Mare Street
A traffic enforcement camera installed at the junction of Mare Street and Richmond Road (pictured) has made Hackney Council a whopping £898,235 in just a nine-week period. Cars turning west onto Richmond Road are handed a £65 fine if they perform the manoeuvre between 7am and 10am, and 3pm and 7pm from Monday to Saturday
One 74-year-old Islington Council worker – who has been using the junction for 30 years – has been slapped with 21 tickets, totalling £1,365.
The country’s highest earning speed camera only made a comparatively low £1.5 million – or £250,000 a month – in the six months between April and October 2016, despite being located on London’s busy North Circular Road.
Residents have vented their frustrations at Hackney Council’s perceived money-grabbing tactics.
Twitter user Baz commented: ‘This restriction is poorly conveyed (judging by the amount of PCNs [penalty charge notices] issued and the number of repeat PCNs), and is definitely not in the spirit of the law, regardless of whether the signage meets the standard required or not.’
Also writing on Twitter, Trajon2000 said: ‘Councillors will be giving themselves a big pat on the back for that, oh and a big payrise.
‘Just a thought here, if they put more of these signs around the borough to catch people out, could we have a council tax reduction please.’
This Twitter user made fun over the amount of money the council was making from the new traffic enforcement camera
Another Twitter user, who goes by the name Trajon2000, suggested that the council give themselves a ‘big pat on the back’ for the camera
Some have blamed poor signage and a bad road layout for the many fines the council has been able to dish out
Others have suggested that people are being caught out after years of being able to do a left turn at the junction without penalty
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The changes to the junction follow the introduction of a ‘school street’ outside nearby London Fields Primary School.
The left turn ban is in operation between 7am and 10am, and 3pm and 7pm from Monday to Saturday.
RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: ‘While some drivers will knowingly ignore streets signs like this, the vast majority wouldn’t do so intentionally.
‘The number of fines being given to drivers at this junction suggests something is wrong – and it might well be that the sheer amount of signage and a difficult road layout is to blame.
‘The sign is immediately past a busy pedestrian crossing and between two sections of bus lane on Mare Street.
‘A driver would have just moments to read all the traffic signs and decide whether they were permitted to turn left.
‘And unlike on a straight section of road, they would have no opportunity to correct the manoeuvre if they then realised their mistake.
‘We would like to see the council being innovative in introducing digital bus lane signage that makes it much clearer – perhaps by means of red and green LEDs – for motorists to see if they can use a certain stretch of road.
‘A review of all the street signage around the junction would also be very welcome.’
A Hackney Council spokesman said: ‘The changes to this junction are part of our pioneering school streets initiative which is improving air quality and making it easier and safer for families to walk and cycle to and from school.
‘The notices already meet all Department for Transport requirements, and we have now added additional signage to ensure all drivers comply and help make our children’s school journeys healthier.
‘While it is the responsibility of drivers to read this signage and adhere to the road closures, we will of course listen to representations where a driver feels that a fine has been issued unfairly or received multiple fines during a short period.’
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