Drivers in London rack up £56m worth of fines from LTNs in last two years as more than a million issued tickets
5 August 2023, 12:15
Drivers in London have been issued with at least £56m in fines in the last two years of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, a freedom of information request has revealed.
New freedom of information requests have revealed that at least £56m has been forked out by motorists in London as a result of the LTNs.
In St Ann’s in Haringey last year, 47,695 motorists were hit with fines, which was the busiest LTN.
At least a million tickets have been given to drivers using roads in London that were previously accessible.
Low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) were introduced to improve air quality and were rolled out more widely during the pandemic, as it was seen as an opportunity to encourage greener modes of transport such as walking and cycling.
But they didn’t arrive without controversy, as a number of councils with plans to introduce the green scheme have been hit by backlash from motorists, disabled groups and more.
Figures from last year revealed that Lambeth took in the most LTN fines with £11.2m generated, while Islington fell second with £10.7m.
Barking and Dagenham had £6.8m worth, Ealing £6.6m, Croydon £6m and Lewisham £5.7m.
Transport for London said of the schemes: “LTNs help to make streets around London easier to walk and cycle on by stopping cars, vans and other vehicles from using quiet roads as shortcuts”.
Despite the already shockingly high number paid in fines, as revealed by The Sun’s freedom of information request, the figures may be even higher as not all London boroughs replied to the request for info.
Read more: London councils spend £500,000 a year fixing vandalised LTN cameras wrecked by angry drivers
LTN initiatives block off streets with planters, bollards, signs and cameras and have been set up throughout London, as well as cities like Birmingham and Bristol.
Cameras record the registration plates of vehicles driving in the zone and sends fines, typically of £130, to any not allowed. The fine is reduced to £65 if paid within 14 days.
The controversial LTNs have led some to argue that the green scheme has only redirected traffic to other nearby areas.
Hugh Bladon of the Alliance of British Drivers, said: “It is all very well closing roads off for whatever reason but all you are doing is displacing the traffic somewhere else.
“You then end up creating more congestion and more pollution, as people sit there with their engines running. It just seems to me to be really stupid.”
It comes after Rishi Sunak ordered the Department for Transport to conduct a review into neighbourhoods with the green scheme in place to ensure that it doesn’t hinder emergency services.
Asked on Monday about which should take priority, between green schemes and emergency service access, the prime minister’s press secretary said: “Particularly those who are trying to get patients to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, that has to take precedence.
“They have to be able to get there as quickly as possible.”
Mr Sunak told The Telegraph: "The vast majority of people in the country use their cars to get around and are dependent on their cars.
"When I'm lucky enough to get home to North Yorkshire, it's more representative of how most of the country is living, where cars are important.
"I just want to make sure people know that I'm on their side in supporting them to use their cars to do all the things that matter to them."
