TfL fines Vodafone £3.5k for streetworks violations

Transport for London (TfL) has successfully prosecuted telecoms company Vodafone for streetworks’ violations for the second time in four months.

Vodafone’s offences, which took place between February and March, include working without a permit in Borough High Street and failing to serve the required streetworks notices before starting work at St Thomas Street in Southwark, Loampit Vale in Lewisham and Bishopsgate in the City of London.

Vodafone failed to pay the Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) issued by TfL in response to these offences.

Ahead of a hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court on 28 September, Vodafone pleaded guilty to the offences and the company was fined a total of £3,500 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £3,020.

Since January 2015 TfL has prosecuted Vodafone on three occasions and issued the company with 78 FPNs, 33 of which were within the last year. Including this latest offence, the company has been ordered to pay a total of £12,706 in fines for mismanaging streetworks since 2015 

Garrett Emmerson, TfL’s chief operating officer for surface transport, said: “These offences prevent us from coordinating streetworks effectively and we will continue to push for the toughest penalties possible against telecommunications and other companies caught acting unlawfully. We are committed to keeping London’s roads as clear as possible to prevent unnecessary disruption to journeys and to help us tackle poor air quality.”