Drivers slam 'money-making' traffic camera
 | | Damien Kellegher at the box junction in Drayton Park |
OUTRAGED drivers caught on camera at a box junction have slammed the newest "money-making scheme" to target motorists.
Council officers have been ordered to look into road layout in Drayton Park, Holloway, after claims the yellow box makes the junction more dangerous.
A controversial camera was put in to catch drivers blocking traffic where Horsell Road meets Drayton Park early last month.
But motorists say the junction, in the shadow of the new Arsenal stadium, is almost impossible to negotiate without getting hit with a fine.
Labourer Damien Kellegher, 26, of Birnam Road, Finsbury Park, was accused of stopping in the box and was fined £50.
He said: "It's a money-making scheme. I didn't want to go too close to the car in front. If you were coming out of Benwell Road and stopped to avoid going into the box, someone could go into the back of you. The only one that's winning is the council."
Jim Douglas, a software engineer from Watford who drives along Drayton Park once a week, also received a ticket.
He said: "Drayton Park is a minefield. You can get caught for anything.
"If you are in a moving chain of cars and the lights change, you get caught. It's an ideal spot for printing money.
He added: "How do they know that I'm stationary? How long is stationary?"
The AA Motoring Trust, which champions the interests and safety of road users, also has concerns.
Paul Watters, the trust's head of roads and transport policy, said: "We don't have a problem with cameras at box junctions as long as the motivation is right.
"Box junctions are there to keep people moving. It's the cameras that are the issue. It's a question of how stationary you have to be."
Councillor Lucy Watt, executive member for environment, said: "Cameras are used to ensure restrictions are followed - this keeps traffic flowing.
"I am concerned if motorists are having practical difficulties in negotiating them due to road layout. I have asked officers to check that the measures are working to the benefit of all motorists.
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