Manchester drivers will be fined by council at six 'high-risk' junctions if they commit certain offences

Drivers will soon be fined for breaking the rules of the road at six ‘high-risk’ junctions in Manchester, it has emerged.

Last year, the Government approved plans to allow Manchester City Council to take on powers previously held by police in enforcing the rules of the road at seven junctions in the city. The powers mean that the council can use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to penalise motorists who commit ‘moving traffic offences’.

Those offences include ignoring yellow box markings, making a right or left turn when prohibited, or driving the wrong way down a one-way street. Until now, however, enforcement was only in effect at one junction. That was the junction between Stockport Road, Dickenson Road, and Stanley Grove in Longsight, with fines of up to £70 dished out to rule-breaking drivers since November 20, 2023. Now, a new report to the council’s Economy and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee has revealed that fines will be handed out at six more sites ‘over the next 3 to 4 months’.

Manchester junctions impacted by new fines

• Cheetham Hill Road / Elizabeth Street – No right turn
• Ashton Old Road / Chancellor Lane / Fairfield Street – Yellow box
• Princess Parkway / Palatine Road – Yellow box
• Great Ancoats Street / Oldham Road / Oldham Street – Yellow box
• Kirkmanshulme Lane / Mount Road – Compulsory left turn / Yellow box
• Wilmslow Road / M56 junction 6 – Ahead Only

The council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, Tracey Rawlins, has previously said "as a council, we are always looking at ways in which we can improve safety on our roads".

Coun Rawlins added: “Any accident on our roads is one too many which is why it’s important we explore any measures at our disposal to prevent them. Following a consultation last year, we are looking to utilise our new powers to enforce MTCs across a range of neighbourhoods. As well as improving safety we are also keen to improve our air quality – in line with our zero-carbon aims – as well as reducing congestion and journey times. Changes like this bring us a step closer to being a well-connected, cleaner, greener and safer city.”

The report goes on to say that the authority is ‘developing a new process for the assessment and prioritisation of new sites’, with the ‘key aim’ of taking on the powers the ability to use ANPR cameras to enforce ‘school streets’.

School streets were rolled out at the start of the 2022/23 academic year at seven primary schools in Chorlton, Whalley Range, Withington, Harpurhey, and Rusholme. At each site, the road outside the school is closed to motor vehicles at drop-off and pick-up time, but ‘still open to pedestrians and cyclists and to key vehicles that require access to the school building.’

Currently, the schemes use volunteers and temporary barriers, which is thought not to be a long-term solution to keeping the project going. With a wish to extend it beyond the current school year, the authority believes ANPR cameras could replace volunteers.

Manchester City Council’s Economy and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee meets at 10am on Tuesday, January 9.