Kingston Road yellow box junctions: £451,000 in fines — traffic management or cash cow?

Two yellow box junctions on Kingston Road — at Elm Road and Westbury Road — have generated £451,405 from 6,568 Penalty Charge Notices between January and August 2025. That is roughly 27 fines per working day, or one every 18 minutes during working hours.

The revolt

Three councillors — James Giles, Yvonne Tracey, and Kamala Kugan — requisitioned a special meeting of the New and Old Malden Neighbourhood Committee. They argued the junctions are operating as a revenue stream, not a traffic management measure. When three elected members from different political groups agree something is wrong, it usually is.

The council's defence does not hold up

The council's report claimed the junctions "comply with legal requirements" and that fines have decreased over time, suggesting deterrence. But £451,000 in eight months is not a deterrent working — it is a deterrent failing while the council profits from the failure.

If the junction design genuinely causes thousands of drivers to get trapped, perhaps the junction design is the problem, not the drivers. Road engineers have well-established techniques for improving junction flow — signal timing, road markings, lane widths. Has the council tried these before turning to enforcement cameras?

Where does the money go?

Revenue from parking and traffic enforcement in Kingston goes into the council's general transport budget. Unlike council tax, there is no specific ring-fencing. So your £70 fine could be funding anything from road repairs to the cycling infrastructure plan.

The pattern across Kingston

This is not an isolated case. Kingston generates significant revenue from parking enforcement across the borough. The yellow box junction issue is simply the most visible example. Residents should look at overall enforcement revenue and ask whether the balance between management and revenue has tipped too far.

What you can do

If you have been fined at these junctions and believe the junction design is at fault, you can appeal. Beyond individual appeals, message your councillors through Council Watch and ask them to prioritise junction redesign over enforcement.