Drivers across England were hit with nearly £1 million in fines last year for breaking one specific rule, and it’s only been enforced outside of London and Cardiff since 2022.
According to new figures, £998,640 worth of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) were dished out in 2024 at just 36 yellow box junctions across the country.
Yellow box junctions are designed to keep traffic flowing through busy areas. You're only supposed to enter if your exit is clear or you’re waiting to turn right. But with councils now having new powers, more drivers are getting caught and fined fast.
So, what’s changed?
Before 2022, only London and Cardiff councils could fine drivers for offences like stopping in yellow boxes. But the government now lets any English council apply for enforcement powers, meaning more drivers outside those cities are being monitored and fined for these infractions — including moving traffic offences like driving through no entry signs or in cycle lanes.
Critics argue this shift has turned drivers into cash cows for local councils. The RAC, who got this data through Freedom of Information requests, says the high number of fines should be a wake-up call for councils, suggesting some box junctions may be more about making money than keeping traffic moving.
The councils making the most money:
| Local authority | Yellow boxes enforced | PCNs issued | PCNs per yellow box | Total fine revenue | Location of top revenue raising box |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | 6 | 13,130 | 2,188 | £446,706 | Kirkmanshulme Lane / Mount Road junction |
| Medway | 5 | 4,433 | 887 | £145,162 | Rainham Road, junctions with Ash Tree Lane and Canterbury Street, Gillingham |
| Buckinghamshire | 4 | 3,618 | 905 | £139,798 | Packhorse Road junction with Station Road, Gerrards Cross |
| Liverpool City | 4 | 3,376 | 844 | £92,025 | St Ann Street |
| Surrey County | 1 | 4,250 | 4,250 | £81,445 | Dennis Roundabout, Guildford |
| Reading Borough | 8 | 1,638 | 205 | £40,294 | Unknown |
| Hampshire County | 1 | 1,105 | 1,105 | £31,675 | Alma Road, Romsey |
| Wokingham | 1 | 651 | 651 | £19,985 | Easthampstead Road, Wokingham |
| Gloucestershire County | 1 | 30 | 30 | £945 | Lansdown Road / Parabola Road |
| Leeds City | 2 | 50 | 25 | £605 | Duke Street / York Street |
| Leicestershire City | 2 | 467 | 234 | ||
| Hertfordshire County | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Are these fines fair?
That’s up for debate. Some yellow boxes are huge. A 2019 RAC study found that 98 out of 100 junctions in London and Cardiff were up to 50 percent bigger than necessary, meaning more people were likely to get caught out.
While councils claim it’s all about keeping roads safe and traffic flowing, the RAC says a yellow box that hardly ever generates fines is a sign it’s doing its job properly, not acting as a trap.
And even though some appeals are successful — up to 87 percent in Medway — most drivers don’t even try.
Councils argue they follow national guidance and that drivers only get fined when they break the rules. But with such a high number of penalties in a small number of places, it’s worth asking whether these junctions are helping traffic or just boosting council budgets.
