Thousands of motorists ignoring Mini-Holland traffic ban

More than 15,000 fines have been issued to motorists who have flouted a traffic ban on a route in Waltham Forest over the past year.

The Orford Road scheme in the Walthamstow Village area is part of the Mini-Holland programme funded by former London Mayor Boris Johnson to make routes safer for cyclists and pedestrians. 

Orford Road has been designated a traffic-free route between 10am and 10pm with the exception of the W12 bus service.  

A fixed camera captures contraventions, which are then reviewed by a civil enforcement officer who determines if a fine should be posted to the driver. Over the past year 15,827 penalty charge notices have been sent out, an average of 43 fines a day. To date £881,480 has been paid in fines by drivers contravening the Orford Road ban, said the council.

The Orford Road scheme is one of a series of changes to traffic routes in the north-east London borough, including closing off some roads to through-traffic. Next year segregated cycle paths will be installed along most of the busy Lea Bridge Road while the Whipps Cross roundabout will be re-configured into a signalised junction with separate crossings for pedestrians and cyclists.

Waltham Forest received £27m in Mini-Holland funding, with £3m from other funding sources. Enfield and Kingston-upon-Thames were awarded Mini Holland grants of £30m each, though both have implemented few schemes so far. 

Cllr Clyde Loakes, deputy leader and cabinet member for environment, told Local Transport Today: “We wanted to reduce rat-running traffic, noise, pollution and congestion down Orford Road and create a better environment for children, shoppers, pedestrians, cyclists and people living in the village.”

The traffic ban on Orford Road was introduced in May 2015, with a grace period of three months before camera enforcement began. A fine of £130 is issued though drivers get a 50% discount if they pay within 14 days.

”We knew that a road change like this would take some getting used to for everyone, especially drivers who used to use it to cut through,” said Cllr Loakes. “Since it was introduced we are already starting to see a reduction in tickets where people are getting used to the new road layout. The closure was never about making money, but the income it has raised will be re-invested into our roads as it has to be spent on highway related matters like maintaining our roads, fixing potholes and contributions to parking schemes.”

Find out more about Waltham Forest's Mini-Holland programme at Transforming London’s Streets