Liverpool City Council seeks news powers to crack down on ‘unlawful and dangerous’ driving in the city. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool City Council is looking to acquire new powers to crack down on bad driving in the city and is launching a public consultation.

Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act (2004) allows local authorities to penalise poor driving habits which currently, under criminal law, can only be enforced by the police.

According to the council it is keen to  apply for new enforcement powers to help reduce congestion, improve air quality and road safety, and “encourage sustainable travel”. It will look to acquire the powers from the Department of Transport. First it wants to hear the views of residents, businesses and other interested parties.

These new powers would allow the city council to reinforce the work it is currently doing to tackle unlawful and dangerous driving behaviour.

It would also complement changes to key parts of the city’s highways networks such as the upgrade of The Strand and Lime Street, and the increasing number of cycle lanes being introduced across the city.

READ MORE: Strand phase 2 pushed back to after Eurovision

As part of their duties, the council would undertake the enforcement using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. However, following DfT guidelines, if approved and adopted there will be a six-month warning notice period where no fines will be issued for first-time offenders.

Examples of the type of moving traffic offences include:

• Undertaking banned turns.
• Driving through a ‘No Entry’ sign.
• Driving in a route permitted for buses and taxis only.
• Driving through a school street, pedestrian and cycle zone.
• Entering a yellow box junction when the exit is not clear.

Cllr Dan Barrington, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and the Environment, said: “Improving road safety is a huge priority for the city council. Adopting this legislation will give us the powers to further improve standards at key pinch points across the city.

“These new enforcement powers would have a significant impact on the council’s ability to help reduce congestion, improve air quality and road safety, and encourage sustainable travel.”

If granted these powers, the council would initially undertake enforcement at the following nine locations around the city:

• New Quay/George’s Dock Gates/St Nicholas Place/Chapel Street northbound – Yellow box junction.
• New Quay/George’s Dock Gates/St Nicholas Place/Chapel Street southbound – Yellow box junction.
• St Anne Street outside Liverpool Community Fire Station – Yellow box junction.
• Whitechapel/Hood Street/Crosshall Street – Yellow box junction.
• Watergate Lane at Much Woolton Catholic School – school street.
• Arlington Avenue – Greenbank Primary School – school street.
• Lime Street – Bus-only link.
• Copperas Hill – Left turn into Ranelagh Place.
• Ranelagh Place  – Banned u-turn.

People can go online to see the proposals and provide feedback by clicking here or go to Central Library to see a physical copy and fill in a form. The consultation ends on Monday, December 19.

Paper copies of this survey are available at Central Library, William Brown St, Liverpool L3 8EW and need to be posted by Monday, December 19, to ensure that your views are captured before the end of the consultation to:

TMA Part 6 Consultation

Highways & Transportation Major Projects

4th Floor, Cunard Building

Water Street

Liverpool L3 1DS