Suggested text. You've got plenty of time so suggest you give others a chance to review and suggest amendments. When you do send, be sure to keep a copy of your final text and a confirmation of submission or screen shot. It's highly likely Cardiff will reject this as in their mind their camera is perfect and any stop in the box must be punished whether their camera shows a contravention or not! So, if/when they reject come back here with a copy of the rejection notice and we'll take it from there...
Dear Cardiff County Council
Re PCN QC86879837
I recently received the above PCN in respect of entering and stopping in a box junction when prohibited. I have reviewed the evidence provided, in particular the video evidence, and wish to submit representations on the grounds that the contravention did not occur.
First and foremost, the video evidence supplied does not capture the moment my car enters the box junction as the camera is focussed on the centre of the box junction and the entry point is somewhere out of view of the camera. As such there is no way of knowing precisely when entry occurred nor what traffic conditions were at this point. Consequently, as the contravention centres around entering a box junction when prohibited, the evidence does not demonstrate that a contravention has actually occurred at all.
In addition, the box junction is large and the camera elevation is insufficient to show the far end of the box junction in any detail. The relevant legislation states that "a person must not cause a vehicle to enter the box junction so that the vehicle has to stop [my emphasis] within the box junction due to the presence of stationary vehicles". Based on the very poor resolution of the video at the far end of the box where my vehicle stopped, I find it is impossible to ascertain how much of my vehicle was in the box junction and, crucially, how much space there was to the car in front of mine. As a contravention only occurs in the event my vehicle 'has to stop' then if there was sufficient space in front to allow my vehicle to exit fully then a contravention has not occurred. The video is not sufficiently clear to demonstrate this point.
Finally, there is a specific exemption set out for vehicles which enter the box for the purpose of turning right and stop within the box junction for so long as the vehicle is prevented from completing the right turn by another vehicle which is stationary whilst waiting to complete a right turn. As can be seen in the video, my vehicle is entering the box junction for the purpose or turning right and stops behind another vehicle which also seems to be waiting to complete the same right turn. As such my vehicle is in scope of the exemption.
For all these reasons, I therefore look forward to confirmation that this PCN has been cancelled.
Yours faithfully,
