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This is the most lucrative road in London for parking fines and traffic penalties — raking in up to £2.5 million a year.
Wardens and cameras in Southampton Row in Bloomsbury, which is only 500 yards long, have snared almost 23,000 drivers in the past 12 months — giving out fines of up to £120 a time.
A Standard investigation has found that the road is one of many fines hotspots in the capital.
Wardens issued almost 29,000 penalties for contraventions in Station Road, Harrow.
But the council charges half the level of fines of Camden, which regulates traffic in Southampton Row, making its potential revenue £1.7 million a year.
Across London in the past year, almost four million penalties were issued to motorists. Other roads which regularly rake in more than £1 million a year include Ripple Road, Barking; Queensway; and Atlantic Road, Brixton.
Today parking campaigners accused councils of using drivers as “cash cows” and focusing on single roads with poor signage as “entrapment spots”.
Barrie Segal, founder of Appeal Now, a website that helps drivers fight unfair penalties, said: “There are a few reasons that some roads are much worse than others. Often it's road signage — one sign will contradict another so it will be confusing for the motorist. Sometimes it's poor road marking. The problem is there's no incentive for councils to correct this.”
Camden's parking wardens and cameras have caught drivers in Southampton Row for a variety of offences, including driving in a bus lane, making an illegal U-turn and parking illegally.
A spokeswoman said 90 per cent of the fines issued were for traffic offences and the rest for parking violations.
“Several major bus routes run along the road, so bus lanes must be kept clear at all times to prevent them being delayed,” she added. “It is important to ensure motorists follow regulations so traffic is able to move freely and safely.”
Westminster was the borough that issued the most penalties with 684,000.
Last year Prudence Fay, 69, won a case against the council after receiving a £120 fine based on photo evidence faked by a warden.
Danny Chalkley, Westminster's cabinet member for city management, said more than half a million vehicles entered the borough a day which was bound to result in a high number of offences: “Every penny of surplus income from parking is ploughed straight back into transport improvements,” he added.
'I've lost 30% of my business': View from Southampton Row
Ruggerro Acar, 51, owner of Verdi Ristorante:
“Two years ago there were much more restrictive traffic wardens. Now the council's parking rules are not so bad. We need to be reasonable, to think of ourselves and other people.”
Nikki Cottrell, 30, manager of estate agent Frank Harris:
“A couple of [contractors] would risk pulling over to pop in, and a couple have had tickets. It's a frustration. I have to get our deliveries taken to our Bloomsbury office.”
Alan Mays, 45, delivery driver for two firms:
“Now the council's taken over [giving tickets] it's a lot worse. Now it's cameras or wardens and there's no discretion. They have to keep London flowing but it's a nightmare.”
Thomas Sacker, 66, owner of florist Bonnie Blooms:
“I've lost 30 per cent of my business because people can't park. Even with people coming to pick up funeral flowers, they can't stop. It's money-motivated for councils.”
Top 10 hotspots for fines
1. Station Road, Harrow (Harrow) Fines: 28,884
2. Southampton Row (Camden) Fines: 22,275
3. Chiswick High Road
(Hounslow) Fines: 18,668
4. Queensway (Westminster) Fines: 12,464
5. Ripple Road, Barking (Barking & Dagenham) Fines: 12,266
6. Herbert Road, Southall (Ealing) Fines: 9,645
7. Fore Street
(Enfield) Fines: 8,789
8. Lea Bridge Road (Waltham Forest)
Fines: 7,719
9. Uxbridge High Street (Hillingdon) Fines: 6,425
10. Golders Green Road (Barnet) Fines: 5,868
*Local authority in brackets
Reader views (11)
The ‘end of bus lane’ sign on the southbound lane of Southampton Row is nasty. I drove past the sign and onto the left lane so as to turn left. However, there is white line that runs after the sign. The sign doesn’t tell you that if you cross it you will be fined.
I got a fine and I went to the council to watch the video footage. There was no other traffic except my car; I had no incentive to go into a bus lane.
Why more isn’t done to fine the councils for this criminal behaviour is beyond me.
- David, London, England
The majority of fines along Southampton Row are NOT for parking offences, they are for contravening the no U turn thats in force, it actually extends all the way down to the Kingsway too for those that wish to avoid it.
- David, London, UK
Jo, London. Spot on. Motorists think they own the roads & they should not be told what to do. Park where they should not & they get fined. Good.
- Barnie Rubble, London
JO.... so simply put and so right! unfortunately London's drivers are selfish and only think of themsleves and how they can get further in their journey and stuff everyone else! keep going with the fines! i just hope the moiney is put to good use!
- Jh, London
Don't park where you shouldn't and you won't get a ticket.
- Jo, London
I cross Southampton Row every day too, and get the bus home from there most evenings. It IS a busy bus route, true, but for commuters like me who don't live in a Tube area, fast and reliable bus routes are an essential part of my life, and the more they can be kept clear, the better.
Lewis is absolutely right that drivers regularly block the pedestrian crossings, leaving us to weave our way round the traffic just to be able to get across the street!
Add to that the fact that Southampton Row is now becoming a notorious bad spot for cycling accidents, with I believe 2 fatalities in the last year or so, and all in all, it's a scenario which does not favour the pedestrian or cyclist, the two users most likely to be at risk from bad driving.
- Alison, London
Re Lewis, London. I have lived in London for over 60 years and have seen and experienced most things that Londoners now have to put up with. Where I live is not relevant to the fact that I have the opportunity to comment on what was once one of the great capitals of the world and has deteriated dramatically in the last few years. In France there is a sense of proportion and balance towards parking and attitude towards drivers.
- Strongbow Sullivan, Paris, France
As someone who has to cross the road at the corner of Theobalds Rd and Southampton Row to get to work, I am not surprised at the amount of money made out of impatient, rude and yellow-box/bus lane flouting drivers. I often can't cross as they block the pedestrians out completely in their desperation to advance a few more inches on the road... and if I have the temerity to cross when I have the green light they often roll/drive towards me. So they get what they deserve.
By the way, Sullivan - you are in Paris. Why are you always on this website? Missing London? Bus lanes are there for buses - not for the likes of you to weave in and out of dodging cameras. Why don't you tell us about the bus lanes in Paris - can you weave in and out of them?
- Lewis, London
putting aside hatred for traffic wardens , it does make you laugh that people just cannot resist parking where they shouldn't . the council must love them , and i'm sure they would miss them dearly if the offenders "dried up"
- Clive, london
Where I live they have an "Arret Minute" parking bay. This allows someone to stop for a minute to post a letter or collect/deliver something. Over and above that you dont have a parking warden waiting for you to go one second over to hand out a ticket as I have experienced in London. Southhampton Row is definitely a cash cow with extra wide bus lanes which change every few 100 yards so you have to weave in and out to avoid the stealth cameras. I remember Westminster Council bemoaning the fact that parking meter revenue was down considerably due the introduction of the Congestion Tax. So this demonstrates that this is just another form of tax and has nothing to do with traffic control. In my experience congestion is now caused by half empty and empty buses crawling along at a snail's pace and those stupid bendy buses. I wonder what Councils would do if nobody drove in to London or avoided penalitie, the loss of revenue would be enormous, probaly they would increase the council tax.
- Strongbow Sullivan, Paris,France.
Do these drivers not have any brains. How can they think they can park on a central London street for free. There are plenty of underground car parks round this area.
- Dc, London
