• Q1. How many yellow box junctions are currently in your authority area, and how many of these are currently enforced? • Q2. How many yellow box junctions in your authority produced/generated Penalty Charge Notices in the financial years 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19? • Q3. How many individual Penalty Charge Notices were issued, and how much money was collected, by your authority to drivers for stopping in a yellow box junction in the financial years 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19? • Q4. How many individual Penalty Charge Notices were issued, and how much money was collected, by your authority to drivers for no left/right/u-turn contraventions in the financial years 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19? • Q5. How many individual Penalty Charge Notices were issued, and how much money was collected, by your authority to drivers for no entry contraventions in the financial years 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19?

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Our ref: FOI-2325-1920

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 4 November 2019 asking for information about traffic offences on TfL managed roads.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our Information Access Policy. I can confirm we do hold the information you requested. You asked:

Q1. How many yellow box junctions are currently in your authority area, and how many of these are currently enforced?

Q2. How many yellow box junctions in your authority produced/generated Penalty Charge Notices in the financial years 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19?

There are 399 yellow box junctions on the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN).

In accordance with the FOI Act, we are not obliged to disclose the number of enforced yellow box junctions or how many yellow box junctions in our authority produced/generated Penalty Charge Notices in the financial years 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19, as the information requested is subject to a qualified exemption to the right of access to information under section 31. In this instance sections 31(1)(b) and 31(1)(g) have been applied as disclosure would or 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.

Specifically, the effect of disclosure is critical in determining whether an exemption should be applied, particularly in the context of the prejudice test, as well as the mosaic and precedent effects.

The prejudice test is not limited to the harm that could be caused by the requested information on its own. Account can be taken of any harm likely to arise if the requested information were put together with other information. This is commonly known as the ‘mosaic effect’. The mosaic effect considers the prejudice that would be caused if the requested information was combined with information already in the public domain. Additionally, some requests can set a precedent, i.e. complying with one request would make it more difficult to refuse requests for similar information in the future. It is therefore appropriate to consider any harm that would be caused by combining the requested information with the information a public authority could be forced to subsequently provide if the current requested was complied with. This is known as the precedent effect.

Should this information be disclosed, it would be likely to lead to further requests on other locations which would become more difficult to refuse. This could enable others to build up a database of enforcement locations, as well as attempt to predict when locations may or may not be enforced by searching for any patterns that may be perceived. Restrictions in relation to stopping in yellow box junctions are in place permanently and must be adhered to at all times, irrespective of whether an enforcement camera is in place and/or functional. There is a very real risk that disclosure would be likely to increase the confidence of anyone inclined to contravene these restrictions, even if that confidence is ultimately misguided or irrational.

The use of this exemption is subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. We recognise the need for openness and transparency within public authorities and the degree of public interest in understanding how we operate our traffic enforcement activities. However there is a very strong public interest in maximising the ability of traffic to move along the TfL Road Network safely, and this is reflected in TfL’s legal duty to ensure that this happens. It would be strongly against the public interest to release any information that would undermine this and lead to any increase in illegal or unsafe driving practices.

We consider it is likely that the release of this information would lead to traffic problems as some motorists would inevitably seek to take advantage of the information by attempting to take risks around areas that there may be a perception that we may not currently enforce, even if that confidence is ultimately misguided. This would in turn have a further effect that TfL would have to divert further resources to enforcing more zones, which would be likely to involve increased staff and direct costs. It would not be in the public interest to limit TfL’s ability to make the most efficient use of its limited funds in this manner. Furthermore, increased congestion would present a significant reduction in the quality of life in London, especially for those living close to the TLRN. This could include increased emissions from congestion and increased noise and traffic.

Q3. How many individual Penalty Charge Notices were issued, and how much money was collected, by your authority to drivers for stopping in a yellow box junction in the financial years 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19?

Please see table below:

Financial Year	PCNs issued	Amount Paid
2016/2017	108,151	£ 7,622,149
2017/2018	122,991	£ 8,895,998
2018/2019	135,923	£ 9,969,545

Q4. How many individual Penalty Charge Notices were issued, and how much money was collected, by your authority to drivers for no left/right/u-turn contraventions in the financial years 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19?

Please see table below:

Financial year	PCNs issued	Amount Paid
2016/2017	14,117	£ 1,012,411
2017/2018	26,539	£ 1,903,322
2018/2019	28,978	£ 2,093,651

Q5. How many individual Penalty Charge Notices were issued, and how much money was collected, by your authority to drivers for no entry contraventions in the financial years 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19?

Please see table below:

Financial year	PCNs issued	Amount paid
2016/2017	2,717	£ 186,964
2017/2018	989	£ 70,586
2018/2019	339	£ 23,409

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,

Melissa Nichols

FOI Case Officer

General Counsel

Transport for London

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