Dealing with London’s overburdened road network is a constant struggle for most businesses operating in the Capital. If that wasn’t stressful enough, trying to visually absorb the myriad of new road signs constantly popping up is also hard work.
Following a recent FOI (Freedom of Information Request) made by the RAC motoring organisation, it was revealed that nearly £10 million (£9,713,499) in traffic fines has been raised in a single year between May 2017 to July 2018.
Road Sign Awareness
The amount of money raised is seen by many as evidence that the busy junction doesn’t have enough road signs warning unsuspecting motorists of the restrictions that lay ahead. The fines are being issued at a rate of one per minute at the junction during weekdays and this has led to an outcry over the amount of revenue that’s being raised. According to a spokesman at the RAC:
“The fact that a penalty charge notice is on average being issued at a rate of one every 60 seconds suggests that signage in the lead-up to the junction is not clear enough”.
He went on to add that Satnavs with outdated information through lack of updates may be leading unwitting drivers into the area that was formally OK to drive in before the restrictions were put in place.
The ban affects lorries, cars, taxis and vans in the area from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday with the initial fine being for £130 but this is reduced if drivers opt to pay £65 within a fortnight.
Defending the City of London, a spokeswoman said there had been a significant awareness campaign beforehand and that over 100 road signs near Bank had already been installed that warn motorists of the weekday ban. She noted the objective was to eventually reach 100% compliance and that the PCN (Penalty Charge Notice) acted as a deterrent.
The ban at Bank road junction came about after the tragic death of 26-year-old cyclist Ying Tao, who was crushed by an HGV whilst on her way to work in 2015.
The Good News
On a positive note, since the ban, the City Corporation claim that casualties have dropped by over 50% at the junction, and by over one third in the surrounding area suggesting that the safety of all road users in and around the junction has improved, and there’s only been
one serious injury since the restrictions began. Whether or not the ban remains permanent is scheduled to be decided in September 2018.
More information
If you need to find out more about the restrictions in this specific location, the City of London restrictions page concerning the Bank Junction should contain all the information you need.
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