Taken from Wokingham Borough Council News Centre
ANPR cameras are being installed in 11 locations in the borough and will enable the council to issue penalty charge notices (PCNs) to drivers that commit moving traffic offences such as making banned right turns, driving the wrong way on a one way street and ignoring weight restrictions.
The council was awarded the powers to enforce moving traffic offences, previously only enforceable by police, in July 2023 following on from its application to the Department for Transport at the beginning of the year.
Why is the council doing this?
Road safety is a key priority for the council. With other offenses, such as parking, there is an immediate reduction in people parking illegally when officers are patrolling in an area. By introducing ANPR cameras, it is hoped that increased enforcement of moving traffic offences will deter those tempted to make illegal driving manoeuvres.
This will improve our roads for all users by:
- Improving road safety including for those walking, cycling, and wheeling
- Reducing traffic congestion and improving traffic flow
- Shortening journey times for public transport services
- Reducing vehicle emissions which improves air quality
- Enabling the police to focus their policing priorities elsewhere
- Providing economic benefits by reducing road traffic accidents which includes the costs to the NHS and the Police to attend and manage road traffic accidents
- Making moving traffic enforcement more effective and reduces the number of repeat offences in future
- A full list of sites and associated offences can be found at the end of this article.
What happens if someone commits a moving traffic offence
The vehicle’s registered keeper will receive a PCN within 28 days of the offence. They will have 28 days to pay the penalty charge. If the charge is paid within 21 days, a 50 per cent discount will be applied.
If they wish to appeal, this can be done online or through the post, with more information available online.
For the first six months, registered keepers will receive a warning for their first offence. If they commit another offence within that six month period, they will receive a penalty charge notice. After six months, all warning notices will cease and anyone committing an offence will receive a PCN.
11 new ANPR cameras will be switched on next week, enabling us to issue fines to those committing traffic offences 🚫
Traffic restrictions are there for a reason; increased enforcement will help deter those causing hold ups &danger to other road users 🚗https://t.co/Wirx9cOMj2 pic.twitter.com/IomgVWlszn
— Wokingham Borough Council (@WokinghamBC) September 14, 2023
Protecting our road users
Cllr Paul Fishwick, executive for active travel, transport and highways, said: “The switch on of our ANPR cameras follows months of planning and consultation and we join over 50 other councils across the UK in obtaining the powers to enforce those contravening moving traffic offences.
“At the beginning of the year our public consultation on whether we should apply for these powers closed, and the results showed that 55 per cent were in favour of us taking them on.
“Our primary focus is to improve the safety and reduce congestion on our roads by deterring motorists from committing these offences. For those that do and receive a penalty charge, that money will be ringfenced for highways improvements, including safety schemes, maintenance and sustainable travel.
List of roads
Locations for enforcement have been prioritised based on those with the highest number of driver non-compliance. The 11 initial locations that have been identified and approved are:
Broad Street, Wokingham at the junction with Rose Street: Banned right turn
Barkham Road rail crossing Wokingham, at the junction with Oxford Road: Banned right turn
Station Road, Wokingham at the junction with Station Approach: Banned right turn
Wellington Road Wokingham, at the junction with Station Road: Ahead only
Gipsy Lane, Wokingham: Weight restriction
Murdoch Road, Wokingham, Width restriction Keep left
Goatley Way, Wokingham: One-way street
Milton Road, Wokingham: No Entry except buses
Easthampstead Road, Wokingham: Yellow box junction
Hyde End Lane, Spencers Wood at the junction with Fullbrook Avenue and Bolton Drive: Buses only
Whitlock Avenue, Wokingham: Banned right turn
