Motorists who drive in cycle lanes, fail to obey no entry signs and misuse box junctions in North Yorkshire could face tougher action.
Currently, moving traffic offences in the county are only enforceable by police.
But North Yorkshire Council is considering securing new powers available to local authorities to enforce moving traffic offences on the county’s roads.
It follows a 2019 survey by the Local Government Association, which revealed 67% of local authorities said the police did not actively enforce any moving traffic offences in their area.
A total of 90% said that they would use civil enforcement powers if they were available, primarily to ease congestion and improve road safety.
The Conservative council has now asked people to share their views on a proposal to introduce traffic enforcement at a yellow box junction on the A19 in Selby.
This would be the first location in North Yorkshire where the council would use new powers to crackdown on driving offences — but others could follow.
Cllr Keane Duncan, the council’s executive member for highways and transport and the Conservative candidate to be mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:
“We are seeking to take tougher action to tackle dangerous driving on North Yorkshire’s roads.
“Using new powers, we have the chance to enforce offences such as driving in cycle lanes, failing to adhere to one-way systems and no entry signs, entering yellow box junctions and failing to give priority to ongoing traffic.
“By adopting these enforcement powers proportionately in problem areas, we hope to improve road safety for all road users, reduce congestion, emissions and journey times, and allow North Yorkshire Police to focus resources elsewhere.”
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Cllr Duncan said the Selby consultation would help it decide whether to apply to the Department for Transport for new powers.
The Traffic Management Act in 2004 introduced civil enforcement of traffic offences in England and Wales.
The act was laid before Parliament in 2022, granting local authorities’ powers to enforce minor traffic offences.
For local authorities to be granted these powers, they must apply to the DfT by October 25, highlighting at least one area that needs to be consulted on and submitted as a pilot scheme.
The Gowthorpe junction in Selby.
The Gowthorpe / Scott Road junction in Selby has been identified following concerns about vehicles entering the box junction on the A19.
If the application for the pilot is approved, traffic enforcement on the junction would be enforced from early next year. Similar enforcement action could then be introduced in other North Yorkshire locations.
The council said in a statement any income generated through traffic offences would be ring-fenced to pay for road improvement projects, public transport schemes or environmental campaigns.
You can take part in the consultation, which closes on October 23, here.
Woman ‘horrified’ at £100 parking fine outside Harrogate pharmacy
A woman in Harrogate said she was “horrified” to be hit with a £100 parking ticket whilst she was collecting an NHS prescription from Well Pharmacy on Wetherby Road.
Shirley Hopkinson collects a repeat prescription from the pharmacy, which is part of Kingswood Medical Centre, twice a month. She said she always phones ahead to check it is ready to collect.
When she came to pick it up on November 17, the pharmacy was busy so she waited for 33 minutes.
This is longer than the 15 minutes free parking allowed in the adjoining car park.
Ten days later, Ms Hopkinson received a parking fine for £100 from a private company called Civil Enforcement, which it said would be reduced to £60 if paid straight away.
She queried the fine with the pharmacy, which told her customers regularly received fines for overstaying in the car park. It added she could appeal, although there was no guarantee this would be successful.
Ms Hopkinson said:
“I am horrified that an NHS doctor’s surgery and pharmacy have allowed a privately owned parking enforcement company to issue patients, family and friends with huge fines for simply collecting prescriptions.”
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Ms Hopkinson said the car park should be free to use for longer than 15 minutes, which she said is not long enough if there is a queue or you need advice.
She added:
“Wetherby Road is a very busy road with next to no on-street parking available for people to use.
“When I was in the pharmacy an elderly lady that was collecting her husband’s prescriptions told me she had also been fined. Why should people who are ill, elderly or simply collecting medication be penalised? The car park has a few signs stating a waiting period of 15 minutes.”
A spokesman for Well Pharmacy told the Stray Ferret that it does not own the car park, so it does not control how long people can park there or whether motorists receive fines.
It said it was “deeply regrettable” that Ms Hopkinson had to wait 33 minutes, but said the pharmacy was under extra pressure due to covid.