Bus lanes, box junctions and banned turns: appealing a moving traffic PCN
Councils outside London can now enforce box junctions, no-entry and banned turns by camera. What the powers mean, the warning-notice grace period, and how to appeal.
If you have had a Penalty Charge Notice for a yellow box junction, a banned turn, driving through a "no entry" or a bus gate, you have run into moving traffic enforcement — one of the fastest-growing kinds of PCN in England. Until recently only London (and Cardiff) councils could enforce these by camera. That changed in 2022, and a lot of drivers are getting caught by junctions they did not know were enforced.
The new powers, in plain terms
Under Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004, the government began allowing councils in England outside London to apply for powers to enforce moving traffic contraventions by camera. The first authorities went live in 2022, and more have joined since. Key points:
- Camera-only. These PCNs are issued purely on camera and recording evidence — there is no officer at the scene.
- What's covered: box junctions, banned/prohibited turns, no entry, one-way streets, bus gates and bus lanes, and similar restricted movements.
- Where it applies: London and Cardiff already had these powers; the 2022 rollout extended them across England, council by council.
The grace period most people don't know about
This is the most useful fact for a recent ticket. The Department for Transport's statutory guidance says that, when a council first switches on moving-traffic enforcement at a camera, it should issue a warning notice (not a PCN) for a first-time contravention at that location for the first six months. So:
- If you were caught at a newly enforced junction, check whether the camera was within its first six months of operation — you may have been entitled to a warning, not a charge.
- Even outside that window, many authorities issue a warning for a driver's genuine first contravention. It is always worth asking.
The box-junction rule that wins appeals
Yellow box junctions have a specific legal test that is widely misunderstood. You are only in contravention if you enter the box when your exit is not clear. Crucially:
- You may enter a box junction to turn right and wait, if you are prevented from completing the turn only by oncoming traffic (or other vehicles already waiting to turn right).
- So if the footage shows you stopped while turning right, blocked by oncoming traffic, that is not a contravention — and is a strong ground of appeal.
Ask the council for the video evidence (you are entitled to see it) and check exactly why you stopped.
How to appeal a moving traffic PCN
The process mirrors any council PCN appeal:
1. Don't pay on reflex — but note the 50% discount within 14 days, preserved if you challenge informally in time.
2. Get the footage and check the contravention genuinely occurred — unclear signage, a hidden or faded "no entry", or the box-junction exception are common winners.
3. Make formal representations after a Notice to Owner, then appeal a rejection to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal (or London Tribunals in London) — the same independent adjudicators who hear parking cases.
For the specific codes, see our guides to PCN code 31 — entering a box junction and PCN code 34 — being in a bus lane.