Major change for drivers as road fine rises to £160 from TODAY – red route rules explained
A MAJOR change to road fines means drivers in London will pay £160 - up from £130 - if they break red route rules starting from today.
The routes are managed by Transport for London and have their own special rules to keep traffic on the busier London roads to a minimum.
The price increase is set to be effective from today (January 17, 2022).
On red routes, the TfL can fine drivers for a number of offences including stopping in yellow box junctions, parking on the side of the road and making a U-turn.
The increase of nearly 25 per cent was brought forward due to the TfL claiming it will be a "more effective deterrent" after 2016-2019 saw an increase of 26 per cent in penalty charge notices (PCNs) given out.
65 per cent of those who responded to a TfL consultation were opposed to the increase but despite this, London Mayor Sadiq Khan signed a proposal last month to put forward the increased charge.
Edmund King, the AA's president said there was no justification for increasing Penalty Charge Notice amounts.
He said this was a view endorsed by nearly two thirds of respondents to the consultation.
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He said: “The AA fully accepts the need for fair and effective road traffic enforcement to deter selfish and illegal driving that impedes other road users.
“However, enforcement needs to be fair, proportionate and allow discretion while creating a deterrent.”
What are the red route rules?
London's red routes are the city's main and most congested roads.
They are clearly marked by the lines on the road being red instead of the typical yellow.
They only make up 5 per cent of the total road length in London but these selected roads have over 30 per cent of the traffic.
Along the red routes there are signs signalling what you can and can't do while travelling along them.
TfL monitors parking and loading, yellow box junctions, banned turns and bus lanes on the red routes.
With the fine increasing to £160, it will lower to £80 if paid in 14 days.
If the payment is made after 28 days then it goes up 50 per cent to £240.
Check all the new 2022 driving law changes here.
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Meanwhile, pavement parking could be banned across the whole of the UK.
And new cameras could land drivers with £200 fines.