Croydon Council in South London is budgeting to receive £11.8 million over the next three years from fixed penalty notice fines issued by automatic number plate recognition cameras catching people driving through roads recently closed to traffic.

But the Sunday Telegraph has reported that it fears it will lose millions of that money if motorists “wise up” about where they will be fined when driving in low traffic neighbourhoods.

It says the South London borough has been awarded £975,000 to create seven low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) after Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, introduced his “green transport revolution” last May to promote walking and cycling.

The paper quotes Steve Iles, Croydon’s director of public realm, telling a council meeting the £11.8 million of “income growth particularly from camera enforcement” had been “built in” to its three-year budget forecast, but that Councillor Robert Canning expressed concern that the cash injection could be lost if motorists obey the rules.

He’s quoted as saying, “Is there a risk that motorists will start complying with restrictions that apply, so the revenue that we are predicting for the next three years won’t actually be obtained because motorists wise up to the restrictions and start complying? Is that something we need to worry about?” and that Mr Iles conceded that “there is a risk of compliance”, but said civil servants had “factored” the “significant hike” in fines into their budget projections.

(Picture – Croydon Council)