City of London council penalty charge notices (PCNs) up 1,663%

The City of London council issued 192,841 moving traffic penalty charge notices (PCNs) between March 2017 and March 2018, an increase of 1,663% year-on-year.

The figure equates to 528 fines a day – the highest of any London council included within the research published by Click4Reg.co.uk. The findings use data gathered from 29 of London’s 32 borough councils. In total 1,439,942 moving traffic penalties were issued between 2017-18, an increase of 30% over the previous year.

Fleet drivers braving the capital should be aware of the myriad pitfalls which potentially await them. Motorists can fall foul of a range of ‘moving traffic’ contraventions, including: using bus lanes, stopping in box junctions, and failing to comply with a no entry sign, to name but a few. In most instances, these transgressions are caught on CCTV camera or a CCTV-equipped vehicle.

Elie Fakhoury, managing director of Click4Reg.co.uk said that the research shows that “the prevalence of moving traffic infringements in London is certainly higher than anyone would expect. Given the capital’s busy roads, individuals should consistently seek to re-familiarise themselves with the rules, markings and signs in the Highway Code.

“In turn, this will not only minimise the number of moving traffic contraventions but more importantly, increase the level of awareness and care taken by drivers whilst on the road," he said.

Hot on the heels of the City of London, is Barnet council which handed out 86,578 PCNs during 2017-18, a 55% rise from the previous year. Islington is third in the league table, with 78,743 PCNs issued – equivalent to 216 notices a day.

At the bottom of the table is Bexley, which issued the lowest number of moving traffic PCNs from the included London councils in the research, at 11,365 – a decrease of 10% from the 2016-17.