Key Points
- Two yellow box junctions on Kingston Road in New Malden, at junctions with Elm Road and Westbury Road, generated £451,405 from 6,568 penalty charge notices (PCNs) between January and August 2025, averaging around £2,000 per day.
- Kingston Council officers ruled the layouts and enforcement “legally compliant and proportionate” in a new report, recommending no changes but separate enforcement data for transparency.
- Independent councillors James Giles, Yvonne Tracey, and Kamala Kugan requested a special meeting after FOI data revealed the fines, citing resident and business concerns over the junctions acting as a “cash cow”.
- Fines for stopping in the yellow boxes fell over four years: 10,288 in 2021/22, 8,888 in 2022/23, 8,758 in 2023/24, and 7,359 in 2024/25, indicating successful enforcement for traffic flow and safety.
- Penalty is £160, reduced to £80 if paid within 14 days; junctions installed since 2015, camera enforcement from 2020.
- New and Old Malden Neighbourhood Committee to vote on recommendations on 22 January 2026.
- Local butcher Roland Head called it a “cash cow”, stating “It’s not about traffic control; it’s a cash cow. The local government isn’t going to change anything because it’s making them money,” as reported to The Times.
- Traffic expert Phillip Morgan claims the Elm Road junction is “too big” and extends beyond roads, violating TSRGD 2016; he won appeals, including one by adjudicator Sean Stanton-Dunne on 28 October 2025.
- Adjudicator Edward Houghton criticised council: “Not for the first time, this council appears not to understand the law. It seems to think that once a vehicle is stationary in a box junction, a contravention automatically occurs. This is not so, and the council is referred to TSRGD 2016.”
- Westbury Road box reduced after rulings; council disputes £450k as combined figure for two separate boxes.
- Local Uber driver told Nub News drivers get fined daily, up to £2,000, and compared to Putney’s three boxes.
- Junction near New Malden ambulance depot causes delays as drivers avoid boxes; bollard added to prevent pavement avoidance in front of Head’s shop.
- Council spokesperson: “These two yellow box junctions are in place to prevent traffic from blocking each junction, and to allow vehicles to enter and exit side roads, and to allow clear sight of pedestrians and cyclists to motorists who are turning right into Elm Road, to improve safety for all road and pavement users.”
- Income ringfenced for highways maintenance, traffic/parking management, excess for initiatives like Freedom Pass.
- The Times FOI showed Kingston took £3.6m from eight boxes since 2022, most per junction nationally.
Kingston upon Thames (MyLondon) 15 January 2026 – Two controversial yellow box junctions on Kingston Road in New Malden have been deemed “legally compliant” by Kingston Council officers, despite generating over £450,000 in fines in eight months and sparking backlash from residents and businesses labelling them a “cash cow”.
The council’s report, prompted by three independent councillors, recommends maintaining the current layout while improving data transparency, with a vote scheduled for the New and Old Malden Neighbourhood Committee on 22 January. Officers noted a decline in fines over recent years, attributing it to better compliance enhancing road safety and flow.
What Sparked the Investigation?
Independent councillors James Giles, Yvonne Tracey, and Kamala Kugan called for a special meeting after an FOI request uncovered 6,568 PCNs issued from January to August 2025, raking in £451,405 – equivalent to about 27 fines daily at £160 each, or £80 if paid promptly.
Residents and businesses reported persistent issues, with claims the junctions prioritise revenue over traffic management. As reported by Tilly O’Brien of Nub News, butcher Roland Head, whose shop fronts the junction, told The Times:
“It’s not about traffic control; it’s a cash cow. The local government isn’t going to change anything because it’s making them money.”
A local Uber driver, speaking anonymously to Nub News, said:
“drivers are getting fines from the junction everyday, allowing the council to earn up to £2,000,”
adding Putney’s three boxes could hit £3,000.
Are the Yellow Box Junctions Legally Compliant?
Council officers concluded in their report:
“Officers are satisfied that the junction layouts are legally compliant and enforcement is proportionate. It is therefore proposed that no changes are made but the junctions be kept under review.”
The report emphasises:
“The council uses enforcement measures to ensure compliance with yellow boxes designed to improve traffic flow and road safety. Our enforcement strategy aims to reduce contraventions, leading to better compliance with regulations and achieving our overall traffic management goals.”
However, traffic law expert Phillip Morgan, who has challenged fines for 15 years, disputes this for the Elm Road junction. As covered by Kingston Courier, Morgan stated:
“Most adjudicators agree, not all, but most. The whole issue is the law states a yellow box junction must be between two or more roads. This box junction extends beyond two or more roads.”
Morgan won a recent appeal on 28 October 2025, where tribunal adjudicator Sean Stanton-Dunne ruled:
“box junction is not marked at the junction of two roads in accordance with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016, it being marked both in advance of, and beyond, the junction.”
The Westbury Road box was reduced following similar adjudicator rulings. Adjudicator Edward Houghton, in another case, rebuked the council:
“Not for the first time, this council appears not to understand the law. It seems to think that once a vehicle is stationary in a box junction, a contravention automatically occurs. This is not so, and the council is referred to TSRGD 2016.”
Kingston Council disputed The Times‘ £450,000 figure as combining two separate junctions.
How Much Revenue Have They Generated?
The junctions, operational since 2015 with cameras from 2020, issued 10,288 PCNs in 2021/22, 8,888 in 2022/23, 8,758 in 2023/24, and 7,359 in 2024/25 – a downward trend officers hail as success.
Tilly O’Brien of Nub News reported the January-August 2025 haul of £451,405 from 6,568 fines. The Times FOI data showed Kingston averaging £120,000 per junction yearly from eight boxes, topping national figures.
GB News noted it outpaces Greenwich’s closest rival at £415,000. Council states revenue covers traffic/parking services, excess for priorities like Freedom Pass.
What Do Locals and Drivers Say?
Residents report “constant tooting, screaming and shouting,” per GB News. The site, near New Malden ambulance depot, delays emergency vehicles as drivers hesitate.
Roland Head noted a young lady drove her Lexus onto the bollard – added post-2020 to curb pavement dodging – requiring garage removal. Morgan highlighted low appeal rates: “guess how many people fight? One per cent,” due to discount loss risk.
What Is the Council’s Justification?
A Kingston Council spokesperson told MyLondon, Nub News, and Kingston Courier:
“The two yellow boxes in place on Kingston Road at the junctions with Elm Road and Westbury Road are there to prevent traffic from blocking each junction and to allow vehicles to enter and exit side roads. This allows clear sight of pedestrians and cyclists to motorists who are turning right into Elm Road and improves safety for all road and pavement users.”
The spokesperson added:
“We would never undertake traffic enforcement with the intention of raising revenue. The primary reason is to uphold the ‘rules of the road’ and ensure our streets are safe for everyone.”
All PCN income is ringfenced, per Highway Code rules.
What Happens Next?
The New and Old Malden Neighbourhood Committee meets 22 January 2026 to vote on maintaining layouts with separate data reporting. Officers recommend review continuation.
A prior meeting with the Chair and ward members agreed on consultation, per council documents. Morgan vows ongoing challenges.
This saga underscores tensions between enforcement, safety, and perceptions of revenue generation in Kingston’s traffic management.
