Warning to All Drivers as New Cycle Lane Law Comes Into Force This Week With £160 Fixed Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) Fines:
Drivers in London who are caught in a cycle lane will from this week face a £160 fine under a new law change. New powers given to the Transport for London Authority and other London boroughs mean that they will be able to fine drivers who cross the solid white lines marking cycle lanes and tracks instead of just the police, from Monday 27 June. Previously, only the police enforced cycle lane offences.
The Government has provided the new powers to local authorities, which allows them to fine motorists who infringe on cycle lanes and cycle tracks, in the same way that they currently do with bus lanes and yellow box junctions.
In a statement TfL said “The aim of the new rules is to ensure cyclists and permitted e-scooter users are kept safe and that it will make the capital more green. Cycle lanes play a vital role in keeping people cycling separated from most motor traffic, reducing the risk of collisions, which can cause death and serious injury. Protecting designated space for cyclists is essential in keeping them safe and improving confidence to cycle. TfL wants to ensure a green and sustainable future for London, and to do this the authority aims to continue to make walking and cycling round the city safe and accessible to all Londoners. It is hoped that by protecting users of greener travel, it will encourage more people to take up more sustainable modes of transport.” TfL added that it would be enforcing the new rules as part of its ‘Cycling Action Plan and Vision Zero’ goal, which aims to eliminate death and serious injury on London’s roads.
Under the new rules only cyclists and rental e-scooters within a trial area will be legally permitted to use the lanes, with motorbikes, scooters and other e-scooters not allowed.
The new rules and offences will be implemented and policed by existing CCTV cameras in key locations to deter drivers contravening the road safety rules.
The fines will be handed out to vehicles that drive within, or cross, cycle lanes marked by a solid white line.
Local authorities in England outside the capital have also been given the right to apply for the same powers to issue fines for traffic offences, such as stopping in a yellow box junction and making illegal U-turns etc. Some councils across England have already adopted similar rules for safety reasons.
London authorities, along with Cardiff council, can already issue fines for other traffic offences, such as driving down a “no entry” road.
However, for the first six months of operation, cycle lane offenders will only receive a warning before the ‘Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)’ fines start being issued.
TfL will issue fines at the same level as other red route penalty charge notices, meaning the £160 fine will be halved to £80 if paid within two weeks.
Yours sincerely
Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer
CWU Eastern No5 Branch 
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