Outrage as Labour council ‘addicted’ to fining folks because it rakes in £50m from hated LTNs | Politics | News | EUROtoday

A Labour led council has issued £50million price of fines to motorists who entered low site visitors neighbourhoods.

Lambeth Council has dished out 392,341 penalty cost notices to folks barred from driving by the hated LTNs within the south London borough because the Government’s roll out began in 2020.

If paid on the full price of £130, Lambeth would have made greater than £50m in simply 4 years.

A Freedom of Information request reveals thast from 2015 to 2018 there have been no fines issued to the house owners of automobiles getting into roads closed to motor site visitors. After the native authority rolled out LTNs, Lambeth has issued 392,341 fines, known as Code 52M, since 2019, the Telegraph studies.

Lambeth insists LTNs have made areas safer, extra sustainable and improved the standard of life for residents.

A spokesperson for the council mentioned: “The restrictions are clearly marked and fines are only issued when road rules are broken.”

They added the variety of fines issued has been falling steadily since 2021, a pattern which the council expects to proceed.

The spokesperson mentioned income from fines can be spent on transport initiatives however the native authority needs folks to alter their behaviour, be extra energetic, assist minimize air air pollution and never get a fantastic.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak mentioned in September he needed to cease “hare-brained” street calming schemes and finish what he described as “a war on motorists”. His feedback got here amid a backlash amongst a bunch of Tory MPs and a few members of the general public.

In response, Mr Sunak introduced there can be a evaluation of LTNs in England to ensure such schemes weren’t launched with out assist regionally.

According to Lambeth Council’s web site, the native authority operates 5 everlasting LTNs: Oval to Stockwell, Railton, Ferndale, Tulse Hill and Streatham Hill.

Lambeth LTN Watch claimed on Sunday (February 25) that two pet retailers have been put out of enterprise by the Streatham Hill LTN.

The group, which patrols LTNs, posted pictures of store home windows with posters on show studying, “Thank you Lambeth” and “Death by LTN”.

On the council’s £50m from LTN fines, Jim Bennet from Lambeth LTN Watch instructed the Telegraph: “Lambeth claims the receipts from LTN fines are ring-fenced in the transport budget. But, there are no visible signs of any extra expenditure on the road network.”