Councils to get power to fine drivers £130 for offences under government plans to give cyclists priority

QUOTE:
Motorists face the threat of new automatic £130 fines imposed by cash-hungry councils under Government plans to give priority to cyclists and pedestrians after the coronavirus crisis.

Ministers have signalled that they are prepared to hand controversial powers to councils to enforce civil penalties for minor driving offences such as straying into cycle lanes or stopping in box junctions.

Enforcing the rules is currently the job of the police but they rarely take formal action over so-called moving traffic violations.

But to help councils fund and operate new cycle lanes and other traffic-reduction measures after the pandemic, Ministers are preparing to hand over legal powers of enforcement to local government officials.

The change would bring the whole of England into line with London where local transport officials already use traffic cameras to issue more than a million penalty notices every year.

Fines in the capital are set at £130 for each violation. The move would mark a retreat from the Government's previous position when Ministers refused to hand councils such powers, fearing they would treat motorists as cash-cows.

Junior Transport Minister Baroness Vere told the House of Lords that the Government was looking at giving councils enforcement powers under the 2004 Traffic Management Act.

It comes as the coronavirus crisis prompts plans for a dramatic expansion of cycling and walking to reduce the use of public transport in towns and cities.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps recently announced a £2billion package to fund new cycle lanes, wider pavements and safer junctions, but cycling campaigners and council chiefs say tougher enforcement of traffic laws is also required.

Both groups have long lobbied Ministers to activate Section 6 of the Traffic Act, which covers relatively minor violations such as driving in cycle lanes, disregarding one-way systems (SURELY NOT - SM) or box junction markings, and failing to give priority to oncoming traffic.

In a parliamentary question, Lib Dem peer Lord Bradshaw asked Transport Ministers whether they intended to extend the civil enforcement powers contained in the Transport Management Act 2004 (section 6) to authorities outside London to better enforce moving traffic offences, in order to protect cyclists and pedestrians'.

Baroness Vere replied: 'We are giving thought to the role these powers could play in helping councils to deliver their transport recovery plans.'

The Local Government Association, which represents councils, says they need the powers because police have 'largely ceased to enforce moving traffic offences'.

Campaign group Cycling UK urged Ministers to 'allow local authorities to take on responsibility for enforcement action against those who infringe mandatory cycle lanes'.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-offences.html

On Sunday, 31 May 2020 19:58:42 UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
QUOTE:
Motorists face the threat of new automatic £130 fines imposed by cash-hungry councils under Government plans to give priority to cyclists and pedestrians after the coronavirus crisis.

Ministers have signalled that they are prepared to hand controversial powers to councils to enforce civil penalties for minor driving offences such as straying into cycle lanes or stopping in box junctions.

Enforcing the rules is currently the job of the police but they rarely take formal action over so-called moving traffic violations.

But to help councils fund and operate new cycle lanes and other traffic-reduction measures after the pandemic, Ministers are preparing to hand over legal powers of enforcement to local government officials.

The change would bring the whole of England into line with London where local transport officials already use traffic cameras to issue more than a million penalty notices every year.

Fines in the capital are set at £130 for each violation. The move would mark a retreat from the Government's previous position when Ministers refused to hand councils such powers, fearing they would treat motorists as cash-cows.

Junior Transport Minister Baroness Vere told the House of Lords that the Government was looking at giving councils enforcement powers under the 2004 Traffic Management Act.

It comes as the coronavirus crisis prompts plans for a dramatic expansion of cycling and walking to reduce the use of public transport in towns and cities.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps recently announced a £2billion package to fund new cycle lanes, wider pavements and safer junctions, but cycling campaigners and council chiefs say tougher enforcement of traffic laws is also required.

Both groups have long lobbied Ministers to activate Section 6 of the Traffic Act, which covers relatively minor violations such as driving in cycle lanes, disregarding one-way systems (SURELY NOT - SM) or box junction markings, and failing to give priority to oncoming traffic.

In a parliamentary question, Lib Dem peer Lord Bradshaw asked Transport Ministers whether they intended to extend the civil enforcement powers contained in the Transport Management Act 2004 (section 6) to authorities outside London to better enforce moving traffic offences, in order to protect cyclists and pedestrians'.

Baroness Vere replied: 'We are giving thought to the role these powers could play in helping councils to deliver their transport recovery plans.'

The Local Government Association, which represents councils, says they need the powers because police have 'largely ceased to enforce moving traffic offences'.

Campaign group Cycling UK urged Ministers to 'allow local authorities to take on responsibility for enforcement action against those who infringe mandatory cycle lanes'.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-offences.html

We have been told many times on this group that only cyclists break the law and motorists are all angels so what is the point?

On Sunday, May 31, 2020 at 8:38:14 PM UTC+1, Mike Collins wrote:
On Sunday, 31 May 2020 19:58:42 UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
QUOTE:
Motorists face the threat of new automatic £130 fines imposed by cash-hungry councils under Government plans to give priority to cyclists and pedestrians after the coronavirus crisis.

Ministers have signalled that they are prepared to hand controversial powers to councils to enforce civil penalties for minor driving offences such as straying into cycle lanes or stopping in box junctions.

Enforcing the rules is currently the job of the police but they rarely take formal action over so-called moving traffic violations.

But to help councils fund and operate new cycle lanes and other traffic-reduction measures after the pandemic, Ministers are preparing to hand over legal powers of enforcement to local government officials.

The change would bring the whole of England into line with London where local transport officials already use traffic cameras to issue more than a million penalty notices every year.

Fines in the capital are set at £130 for each violation. The move would mark a retreat from the Government's previous position when Ministers refused to hand councils such powers, fearing they would treat motorists as cash-cows.

Junior Transport Minister Baroness Vere told the House of Lords that the Government was looking at giving councils enforcement powers under the 2004 Traffic Management Act.

It comes as the coronavirus crisis prompts plans for a dramatic expansion of cycling and walking to reduce the use of public transport in towns and cities.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps recently announced a £2billion package to fund new cycle lanes, wider pavements and safer junctions, but cycling campaigners and council chiefs say tougher enforcement of traffic laws is also required.

Both groups have long lobbied Ministers to activate Section 6 of the Traffic Act, which covers relatively minor violations such as driving in cycle lanes, disregarding one-way systems (SURELY NOT - SM) or box junction markings, and failing to give priority to oncoming traffic.

In a parliamentary question, Lib Dem peer Lord Bradshaw asked Transport Ministers whether they intended to extend the civil enforcement powers contained in the Transport Management Act 2004 (section 6) to authorities outside London to better enforce moving traffic offences, in order to protect cyclists and pedestrians'.

Baroness Vere replied: 'We are giving thought to the role these powers could play in helping councils to deliver their transport recovery plans.'

The Local Government Association, which represents councils, says they need the powers because police have 'largely ceased to enforce moving traffic offences'.

Campaign group Cycling UK urged Ministers to 'allow local authorities to take on responsibility for enforcement action against those who infringe mandatory cycle lanes'.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-offences.html

We have been told many times on this group that only cyclists break the law and motorists are all angels so what is the point?

Plenty of laws to enforce apart from policing cycle lanes and box junctions..
Such as:
Speeding, parking the wrong way at night, on yellow lines, on zig zags, outside schools, pavement parking, obstructing traffic by inconsiderate parking, driving while drunk, on mobile phones, with no car tax, no licence, no insurance, no MOT, illegal plates, overtaking on double lines, due care, bald tyres, faulty brakes, one eyed monsters, no rear lights, no brake lights, no indicators, fog light abuse, faulty steering, windscreen obscuration, darkly tinted windows, child seat abuse, no seatbelts, insecure load, one way street abuse, amber/red light jumping, cycle box abuse, bus lane abuse, box junction abuse, death by dangerous driving, excess smoke and noise from exhaust, duff suspension, leaking oil, cash for crash fiddles, underage child in front, lights causing glare, over weight limit, ignoring no entry signs, parking without permit, not having control of your vehicle, improper use of horn, using horn at night, no in date photo licence, no licence application after long ban, without prescribed eyewear, failing to stop for police/lollipop/zebra etc - ran out of space.