Revealed: The 2,000 Selebians caught out by York's 'unlawful' traffic fines

Figures, disclosed to us as part of a Freedom of Information request to City of York Council, show 1,993 Penalty Charge Notices were issued to residents with Selby postcodes during the ill-fated trial that lasted for six months until February.

During that time, cars were banned from passing over Lendal Bridge and using Coppergate in the historic city whilst Council transport bosses assessed the scheme’s impact on congestion, public transport and the city’s air pollution problem. To enforce the scheme a system of automatic numberplate recognition cameras were installed on the affected routes with £60 fines issued to those found in violation.

Some 53,000 motorists fell foul of the ban as the Council raked in more than £1.3 million in fines, leading to complaints that the closures were badly signposted and was hurting the city’s vital tourism life-blood.

Despite initial plans to extend the scheme, bans were sensationally abandoned on February 27th after an appeal, allowed by the Traffic Adjudicator, cast doubt over the legality of the whole scheme.

In his ruling, adjudicator Stephen Knapp criticised the Council’s poor implementation of the ban before determining that the it did not have the power to issue fines for using Lendal Bridge and Coppergate in the first place.

Council executives disagreed however and have since mounted a challenge to the adjudicators decision whilst rejecting increasing demands by opposition councillors for an internal enquiry into how the whole affair was handled.

Analysis of the Council's figures show that residents of Tadcaster, Selby and Riccall were amongst were most likely in the area to have found themselves on the wrong side of the ban.

Motorists of Tadcaster clocked up 202 tickets for using Lendal Bridge and a further 75 car drivers were fined in Coppergate. Riccall also took a large share of the fines where 160 were caught on Lendal Bridge and 142 in Coppergate.

A full breakdown of the fines issued can be found below.