RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “Being clearer with
councils on important issues that affect drivers around traffic
management, whether that’s the use of 20mph limits, implementing
low traffic neighbourhoods or the enforcement of yellow boxes
is positive, as after all eight in 10 say they would
struggle to get by without a car. These measures
will hopefully bring some much-needed consistency to how
drivers are treated as well as avoiding situations where potholes
get left unattended for months.”
On LTNs
“Low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) which are introduced in the
right places and have been well consulted on can have
lots of benefits. But on the flip side, those that fail on both
these counts and simply displace traffic onto peripheral roads
causing more congestion and air pollution don’t help anyone. The
PM has already ordered a review of LTNs in England and being
clearer with councils about the criteria they must meet if they
want to introduce a scheme makes perfect sense.”
On the National Parking Platform
“Paying for parking should be one of the simplest things any
driver has to do, yet the reality has been anything but with
people forced to download and register a plethora of different
mobile apps depending on where they are in the country. The
roll-out of the National Parking Platform therefore brings about
some much-needed simplification and should make drivers’ lives
easier.
“However, we remain concerned about the fact some councils seem
intent on removing all physical parking ticket machines in favour
of app-only payment – something research tells us a clear
majority drivers are resolutely against.”
On councils introducing new 20mph speed limits
“In the case of 20mph limits, we have long said that in the right
places slow speeds deliver valuable safety benefits, especially
on residential streets, around schools and in places
where there are lots of pedestrians and cyclists. Putting
them on roads where motor vehicles predominate and there is no
conflict with other road users however makes no sense. Councils
already have to go through a process of introducing Traffic
Regulation Orders to reduce speeds from say 30mph to 20mph, so we
wait to see how any new policy differs from this.”
On yellow box junction enforcement
“With dozens of councils in England about to enforce yellow box
junctions, we’re pleased the Government has listened to our
concerns about the potential for drivers to be unfairly fined.
The move to prevent them abusing these new powers is welcome as
is the commitment to update the guidance on where these junctions
should be used and how they should be set up properly.
“While it’s clearly wrong that drivers stop in these junctions
and block them for others, it’s vital that they are fairly set up
so that they can be easily negotiated with no chance of a driver
being stranded on one through no fault of their own.
“Our research shows many are too big and it’s often impossible to
see where some end, making it extremely difficult for drivers to
know whether they can drive through without stopping. Some are
even being used where they shouldn’t be. Had the Government not
intervened we fear councils would have had a field day collecting
unfair fines from drivers, causing unnecessary stress and
financial hardship.”
On bus lane enforcement
“The RAC has always raised questions about bus lane enforcement
as there have been far too many cases over the years where large
numbers of drivers have been fined in particular locations. This
usually implies that signage is poor causing motorists to
accidentally drive in a bus lane when they shouldn’t have. Most
drivers don’t deliberately set out to break the rules
and incur fines. The Government’s plans should help
limit the number of motorists who fall foul of bus lane cameras
while hopefully still ensuring buses run on time.
“We badly need to create an integrated transport network that
works for everyone, including motorists. Bus lanes are key
to that as they help to ensure services run on time in rush-hour
when traffic is high, but outside of that can sometimes make
traffic worse by limiting the amount of available road space
which is something we can well do without. It’s important to
realise that eight in 10 drivers tell us they would struggle to
get by without access to a car.”
