Yellow Box Junction Enforcement to Begin on Kings Road Junctions

THE first two locations to be enforced for illegal blocking of yellow box junctions are to go live on Monday February 20, as part of the Council’s drive to increase safety and reduce the queues which are a major contributor to poor air quality in Reading.  

These are yellow boxes at the Kings Road/Orts Road junction and nearby at the Kings Road/Eldon Road junction.

Both of these junctions are on the route of Reading’s busiest bus service, the Purple 17, and along with other important bus routes will therefore bring benefits to passengers by reducing delays and increasing reliability of services, as well as reducing delays for all road users. This will complement other improvements being developed through the Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) programme, for which it has secured over £26 million of funding.

From February 20 motorists blocking the yellow box junctions will be sent one initial warning notice per vehicle, per junction. All subsequent infringements will result in a £70 penalty charge notice, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days.

The enforcement of yellow box junctions in Reading is being phased in across a total of 15 sites in the town. These are junctions which are frequently blocked by motorists, adding to congestion and poor air quality for local residents in the vicinity through increased emissions.

An interactive maps of all locations to be enforced can be found at https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1jqmbVPpBWlqWFvAc8ecAv6aMgaqu0mc&usp=sharing

It is currently anticipated that enforcement of all 15 locations will be live by Autumn 2023, with one warning notice issued per vehicle, per new junction as they are phased in, followed by formal Penalty Charge Notices. The warning notice period will continue for a period of six months from the date each junction goes live.

Yellow box junction lines and signage are being refreshed, if required, at each of the 15 locations before the CCTV enforcement begins.

Tony Page, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said:

“The illegal blocking of yellow box junctions has a major impact in Reading. Aside from the obvious delays for all road users, it endangers pedestrians and contributes to poor air quality for local residents living in the vicinity of these junctions.

 “Having successfully applied to Government to use the powers, which it should be noted have been utilised by London local authorities for many years, the Council is now giving notice of the first two junctions which will be enforced in Reading, which are a few yards apart on the busy Kings Road.

“It is important to note that warnings, rather than fines, will be issued during the first six months for the first offence per vehicle at each junction. This is to give drivers as much notice as possible before official penalty charge notices are issued.

 “It is also worth emphasising that, as with all traffic and parking enforcement fines, the law requires that any surplus revenue raised has to be re-invested in transport or highways improvements across Reading.”

Whilst London local authorities have had the option of enforcing moving traffic offence powers for many years, English councils outside of the capital have only now been given the option by Central Government to apply for the same powers. The Council successfully applied to the Department for Transport to use the powers and is now introducing enforcement following a period of public consultation earlier last year.

The 15 locations to be enforced in Reading are:

• Junction of London Street with Queen's Road
• Junction of Oxford Road with Bedford Road
• Junction of Oxford Road with Grovelands Road
• Junction of Church Street with Church Road Northbound / Junction of Church Street with Church Road Southbound
• Junction Southampton Street with Oracle Gyratory / A329 slip road junction with the Oracle Gyratory / Junction of Bridge Street with Oracle Gyratory
• Junction of London Road with Eldon Road and Craven Road
• Junction of Queens Road and Sidmouth Street
• Junction of Kings Road with Orts Road / Junction of Kings Road with Eldon Road
• Junction of Wokingham Road with London Road
• Junction of London Road with Chomeley Road (South West bound) / Junction of London Road with Chomeley Road (North East bound)
• Junction of London Road with Kendrick Road
• Junction of A33 and Rose Kiln Lane (North bound) / Junction of A33 and Rose Kiln Lane (South bound)
• Junction of Bath Road and Berkeley Avenue (West bound) / Junction of Bath Road and Berkeley Avenue (East bound)
• Junction Bath Road and Burghfield Road (Westbound) / Junction Bath Rod and Burghfield Road (Eastbound)
• Junction of A329 and the A33 (East bound) / Junction of A329 and the A33 (North East bound)

Following the introduction of yellow box junction enforcement, the Council’s longer term plan is to use the new powers to improve safety and tackle congestion by enforcing a wider range of moving traffic offences. These could include:

• driving through a 'No Entry' sign
• turning left or right when instructed not to do so (making banned turns)
• driving where and when motor vehicles are prohibited