Manchester yellow box fine hotspot: I saw chaos, confusion and 19 drivers break the rules in one hour

The automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera, affixed to a lamppost, is searching out rule-breaking drivers, specifically those that don’t follow the ‘left turn only’ sign from Kirkmanshulme Lane, and those who enter the yellow box when their exit isn’t clear — blocking up a busy junction that leads on to Hyde Road, the main artery from the city centre to Tameside.

This is one of six junctions Manchester council took powers from the police to enforce the rules of the road in late 2023.

In their first year of operation, drivers were fined 13,130 times — paying out £446,706 in total. Exact data on how many fines were issued at each junction has not been released by the RAC, which conducted a Freedom of Information request to Manchester council, but the biggest earner is thought to be Mount Road and Kirkmanshulme Lane, near the Belle Vue speedway stadium.

Mark Edwards lives near the road, using it to do the school run. He’s been caught out twice in his 18 months living here.

“Take it down! There’s no signs,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service. “It needs signs. Even if you are halfway in the box you get a ticket.

“I have had two tickets there. You are not supposed to go into the box anyway. But if you are halfway…? It’s terrible.”

During the morning rush hour on Tuesday (July 1), the LDRS counted 19 offenders from 8:15am to 9:15am — 16 entered the yellow box when they weren’t supposed to, and three drivers ignored the left turn only instruction from Kiurkmanshulme Lane, turning sharply right to continue on Mount Road.

Mark’s neighbour Emmannuel Akintaylo, has called the newish housing estate next to Belle Vue — with road names nodding to the area’s history like ‘Greyhound Avenue’ and ‘Fairground Road’ — home for three years.

“My wife got a ticket,” he explained. “I noticed the camera as well. I have read about it online and how Manchester started doing it first.”

Emmanuel’s contention with the ‘drive’ to enforce the rules is signage. Only a standard traffic camera sign is displayed in the area, looking exactly the same as a warning that a speed camera is ahead.

Emmanuel added: “There’s no sign. If you stand there for five minutes, you will catch someone.

“Sometimes I want to shout to them ‘move!’. I think they should let people know there’s this drive.”

For those who are fined, the penalty charge notice (PCN) is £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days of it being issued.

Although some are angry about the scheme, Aylwin Jerome, who’s lived on the same estate for three years, can see the benefits it’s brought.

He said: “I think the camera is good and bad. It’s a very crooked junction.

“If it’s green a lot of people get piled up. When it goes to yellow, people are piled up so people jam it.

“It’s more regularised. People do not take U-turns [on to Mount Road]. That’s better. It’s prone to accidents.”

Manchester council has defended issuing the fines, saying it warned motorists ahead of time, had a grace period, and sent warning letters to rule-breakers.

A spokesperson said: “Following a consultation in 2022 the council took on board powers to enforce against moving traffic contraventions (MTCs) in a select number of locations throughout the city.

“Up until that point these were restrictions which could only be enforced by the police, which meant that a minority of motorists were able to break the rules of the road without any consequence.

“Cameras were put in place to monitor specific junctions for manoeuvres such as illegal right or left turns, or blocking yellow hatched boxes. We know the vast majority of motorists find these incidents extremely frustrating as they can snarl up traffic, cause delays and inflame tensions on the road.

“These measures were put in place to act as a deterrent for this sort of behaviour and we are pleased to see that the majority of motorists using these junctions obey the rules of the road and help prevent unnecessary gridlock.

“Before these measures were put in place a campaign was launched to advise motorists, and the junctions where cameras are in place are clearly signposted warning that cameras are in operation.

“A six-week period of grace was also implemented to allow the scheme to take root without penalising drivers getting used to the new layout, and any first offences within the first six months were only sent a warning letter.”