Drivers have emerged victorious after a council scaled back a controversial yellow box junction that raked in nearly £2 million in fines amid backlash from motorists. The traffic measure in Croydon, southeast London, has landed tens of thousands of drivers with £160 fines since it was first painted back in 2017.
The box, which campaigners claimed was twice the size it needed to be, has since been cut back in size, with the area replaced with 'Keep Clear' road markings.
Sam Wright, known as the Yellow Box Guru, found the Addiscombe Road junction had generated almost £2 million for the council after submitting an FOI request. Mr Wright also revealed he had even helped a motorist take a fine from the junction to a tribunal in March, after an appeal was rejected by the authority.
There, a parking adjudicator ruled that the yellow box was 'disproportionately large' and 'fundamentally flawed', and quashed the man's fine. The adjudicator also ordered the local authority, which has declared bankruptcy since late 2020, to cancel any outstanding fines for the same reason.
Half of the yellow box extended across the private driveway of the No 1 Croydon office building. Its positioning and size meant vehicles were forced to wait for unreasonable gaps at the end of the box to avoid being unfairly penalised.
Mr Wright, who uses knowledge from his previous Transport for London (TfL) job to help drivers fight fines, said the motorist contacted him after his video on the box became 'popular'.
'The box was twice as big as it needed to be. It extended outside an office block 50 per cent bigger than it needed to be,' he said. 'It's good that it's been cut back. I give credit to Croydon Council for doing something about it.'
An FOI request revealed that 26,244 fines of £160, translating to a revenue gain of around £1.9 million, have been issued since the box was installed in January 2017.
Mr Wright, welcoming Croydon Council's decision to remove part of the box, called on other London councils to follow suit. 'Hundreds and maybe thousands of drivers will now be saved from the hassle of getting a ticket there,' he said. 'There's nothing stopping other London councils from chopping back their dodgy boxes as well.'
A spokesperson for Croydon Council said the box was cut back following a review. 'The Council values the feedback we receive from the community, and we closely monitor what people say about our public highways,' they said. 'We listened to this feedback and responded by conducting a review of the yellow box junction at East Croydon earlier this year. The yellow box was installed decades ago and, as a result of the review, we have changed the road markings to include a reduced box junction and 'Keep Clear' road markings, to ensure the efficient flow of vehicles on the network. The Council will continue to respond to residents while balancing its responsibilities for safety across its roads. Motorists can contact the council's highways and parking team if they have queries or concerns re this box junction, and we will review each query on a case-by-case basis.'
