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Misunderstood low-traffic neighbourhood signage has cost drivers £14 million in fines
09 August 2021
Low-traffic neighbourhoods, in which vehicle access is restricted or banned, in London alone have resulted in 250,000 fines worth £14 million for drivers entering the zones in the last year.
There are a total of 200 low-traffic neighbourhoods throughout the UK.
Campaigners are claiming that many drivers don’t understand the signage for these zones and are entering them mistakenly, resulting in a £130 fine.
Low-traffic neighbourhoods in Hackney in east London have collected £2.7 million in fines for drivers passing through the zones. Analysis showed that 82 per cent of those fined had travelled from outside the borough, which suggests that they were unfamiliar with the roads.
The signage for these zones is the “no motor vehicles” sign - a motorbike over a car surrounded by a red circle. The sign has been in use since 1964 and is featured in the Highway Code, which motorists are obliged to learn.
Yet, it is thought that drivers are struggling to understand the meaning of these signs. A recent poll by British international Internet-based market research and data analytics firm
YouGov, commissioned by the campaign group #BikeIsBest, found that only 50 per cent of drivers correctly identified the sign and 29 per cent thought it meant that only cars and motorbikes were allowed on a road.
Founder of #BikeIsBest Adam Tranter said, “The zones are popular in polling so extra clarity in the signage could help bring people on board who support the concept but are frustrated at the implementation. Given these measures are likely to be very commonplace as part of the green recovery, it might be time for a more literal sign.”
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