In September and October of 2022, we consulted on the proposal that Local Authorities are able to apply for new powers to be able to enforce laws against Moving Traffic Contraventions. Previously these powers could only be enforced by the police.
Manchester City Council were granted these powers, and we are now starting a gradual roll out of enforcement through the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at various locations across the city.
We gained these powers so that we can target key areas in the city to:
- Make roads safer for those walking and cycling
- Reduce congestion
- Improve journey times
- Improve air quality, supporting our zero-carbon target
- Increased safety and cleaner air around schools – camera enforced school streets schemes are proven to have a positive effect
To gain these powers we needed to carry out a consultation with residents and road users to seek their views. You can see this consultation and the results on the consultations page.
What are Moving Traffic Contraventions
The main contraventions we are targeting at this stage are:
Banned left or right turns – when a driver ignores signs informing them which direction they should take. Ignoring these can be dangerous and could result in an accident.
Yellow box junctions – crisscross lines painted at carriageways to help aid the flow of traffic and keep spaces free for emergency vehicles.
Enforcement Locations:
Stockport Road junction with Dickenson Road and Stanley Grove:
Enforcement began at this location on 20 November 2023.
To keep traffic flowing in this busy district centre location, two turns are banned: right turns from Stockport Road into Dickenson Road and right turns from Stockport Road into Stanley Grove. There is also a yellow box junction to prevent queuing traffic from blocking the junction. Blocking of the junction leads to severe queues and delays throughout Longsight District Centre, affecting a key bus corridor. At this junction in the past five years there have been four collisions, resulting in persons being killed or seriously injured.
Great Ancoats Street/Oldham Road/Oldham Street:
Enforcement will begin at this location from 22 January 2024.
This is a key junction on the Inner Ring Road. When the yellow box junction is blocked, it can impact on journey times - especially buses that travel along Oldham Street to Piccadilly from the northeast of the city. Long queues at this junction can affect the flow of traffic, which has knock-on impact for the rest of the Ring Road and Oldham Road.
A further six locations will become enforceable over the next year, and you will be informed in advance of their start dates.
Cheetham Hill Road/Elizabeth Street
Enforcement will begin at this location from 19 February 2024.
The link on Cheetham Road, Elizabeth Street to Lord Street is a busy arterial route carrying 32,453 vehicles a day on average. Waiting illegal right turners reduce the effective running lanes from 2 lanes in either direction to one lane causing tail backs which affect the nearby signal junctions at Manchester Fort and Queens Road resulting in significant delays and congestion on a key bus corridor.
Kirkmanshulme Lane / Mount Road
Enforcement began at this location in February 2024
We are enforcing against Yellow Box junction and compulsory left turn orders at this location. Blocking of this junction can cause tailbacks affecting the efficiency of the Hyde Road Kirkmanshulme Lane junction.
Ashton Old Road/Chancellor Street/Fairfield Street
Enforcement of this junction began on Monday 18 March
A key link between the Mancunian Way and Great Ancoats Street. It is the busiest of the surveyed routes carrying an average of almost 44,000 vehicles per day. Blocking of lanes by illegal right turners and blocking of junctions by queuing in yellow boxes significantly reduces the capacity of this junction and the throughput of vehicles. This has a serious impact on the inner ring road as well as traffic coming into and out of the city centre using Ashton Old Road.
Consequences of ignoring the rules:
If you contravene the rules at this junction, you may receive a fine also known as penalty charge notices.
A PCN charge is £70. However, if you pay within 21 days of the date of the notice, the charge will be reduced to £35.
If you don't pay within 28 days, it will go up to £105.
To pay an MTC fine, please visit our Tickets and Fines page.
To see how this junction works and to understand what we are enforcing against, watch this short video. - Moving Traffic Contraventions Stockport Road with Stanley Grove and Dickinson Road