Request ID: FOI-1442-2324 Date published: 21 September 2023
You asked
1. For the calendar year 2022 please state how many Penalty Charge Notices have been issued because of box junction contraventions?
2. What has been the cost of a PCN for this type of offence in 2022?
3. For 2022 which five sites have been responsible for the most PCNs? Please give a description of where the junction is and how many PCNs were issued for that site.
4. For 2022 how many PCNs for this type of contravention were issued to vehicles issued with (i) British Gas, (ii) British Telecom, (iii) Thames Water, (iv) The Royal Mail and (v) Transport for London, (vi) Tesco, (vii) Asda, (viii) Ocado, (ix) Waitrose, (x) Sainsburys and (xi) Iceland.
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-1442-2324
Thank you for your request received on 4 August 2023 asking for information about yellow box junction (YBJ) penalty charge notices (PCNs).
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold the information you require. You asked for:
1. For the calendar year 2022 please state how many Penalty Charge Notices have been issued because of box junction contraventions?
139,689.
2. What has been the cost of a PCN for this type of offence in 2022?
From 1 – 16 January 2022 a PCN was issued at £130, reduced to £65 for payment within 14 days. On 17 January 2022 this increased to £160, reduced to £80 for payment within 14 days.
3. For 2022 which five sites have been responsible for the most PCNs? Please give a description of where the junction is and how many PCNs were issued for that site.
Please find the list of locations where the highest number of PCNs have been issued below:
Location
WEST HILL SW18 / FIRE STATION
EAST INDIA DOCK ROAD / ST LEONARDS RD (EAST BOX)
HOMERTON HIGH ST/HOMERTON FIRE STN EMERGENCY EXIT
KEW BRIDGE RD / KEW RD / CHISWICK HIGH RD
UPPER WOBURN PL / ENDSLEIGH GDNS
Grand Total
In accordance with the FOI Act, we are not obliged to provide the number PCNs issued at specific locations, as this information is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under Section 31 of the FOI Act, which relates to law enforcement. Specifically, we are refusing your request under Section 31(1)(b) and Section 31(1)(g) which relate to information whose disclosure would be likely to prejudice the apprehension or prosecution of offenders or the exercise of functions for the purpose of ascertaining whether any person has failed to comply with the law.
In this instance the exemption has been applied as disclosure of the information you have requested would reveal the likelihood of a driver being issued with a PCN at these or other locations. The purpose of yellow box junctions is to assist with the safe and smooth flow of traffic on the TfL road network, and TfL has the power to issue PCNs where drivers contravene a range of restrictions on the network. If drivers are aware of how likely (and, by extension, how unlikely) they are to be issued with a PCN then it would encourage non-compliance with those traffic restrictions in the areas that are not covered or are covered to a lesser extent.
Disclosure of this information to you has to be regarded as a disclosure to ‘the public at large’ and providing it would reveal the level of enforcement activity carried out at a location, which would lead to a decrease in compliance with traffic restrictions at those locations.
The use of this exemption is subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. While we recognise the need for openness and transparency by public authorities, in this instance we feel that the greater public interest lies in favour of withholding the information requested in the interests of law enforcement and the daily operation of a busy network, ensuring that we can effectively deter motorists from contravening the red route parking, stopping and moving traffic restrictions.
4. For 2022 how many PCNs for this type of contravention were issued to vehicles issued with (i) British Gas, (ii) British Telecom, (iii) Thames Water, (iv) The Royal Mail and (v) Transport for London, (vi) Tesco, (vii) Asda, (viii) Ocado, (ix) Waitrose, (x) Sainsburys and (xi) Iceland.
Please see the table below:
Organisation
Total
Tesco
228
Royal Mail
149
BT
131
Sainsburys
203
Ocado
88
Thames Water
37
Asda
15
British Gas
13
Waitrose
11
TfL
13
Iceland
20
If this is not the information you are looking for please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely
Gemma Jacob Senior FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
