Greenwich Council has collected nearly £750,000 in fines from a yellow box junction on Plumstead High Street that a tribunal ruled was not substantially compliant with legislation. Between September 7, 2021 and September 30, 2026, 11,950 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) were issued at a total monetary value of £741,461.
Motorist's fine overturned after appeal
One motorist had her £160 fine overturned after appealing to an independent adjudicator, London Tribunals, which ruled that the yellow box on Plumstead High Street “is not substantially compliant with the legislative procedures”. The motorist had stopped in the box for three seconds.
Sam Wright, a traffic campaigner known as the 'Yellow Box Guru', helped the woman through a six-month appeal process. He criticised the South London authority for putting drivers through “such stress for minor victimless nonsense”.
Council defends junction's purpose
Greenwich Council said the junction was helping keep the carriageway clear so emergency services could respond to incidents more quickly. There is both a police and fire station close to the Garibaldi Street junction.
Cllr Calum O’Byrne Mulligan, Greenwich’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Climate Change, Waste and Streets, said: “Keeping this area clear is essential to helping emergency services get out quickly and respond to incidents without unnecessary delays.” He added that “revenue is not a consideration”.
Campaigner calls for minimum time before charges
Mr Wright, a former traffic engineer for Transport for London (TfL), requested that councils introduce a minimum time of five to ten seconds before a charge can be issued. He said: “It really irks me when I see a box which is too big and is being kept for no good traffic engineering reason. They’re just being kept for the money.”
Cllr O’Byrne Mulligan acknowledged the individual case that was overturned and said the council “did not agree” with the reasoning of London Tribunal’s ruling but decided not to contest the appeal. He said: “We take feedback and concerns about the design and operation of yellow box junctions seriously, and will review locations where there is evidence that changes may be needed.”
