Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hi all, hoping for some advice before the 14-day discount window runs out (PCN dated 08-05-2026).

Authority: London Borough of Lewisham
PCN: ZY22080712
Vehicle: PE60XYR
Contravention: 31j — entering and stopping in box junction
Date / time: 01-05-2026 at 16:14
Location: Verdant Lane, entrance to Hither Green Crematorium, SE6 (Google Maps link below)

What happened
Driving down Verdant Lane, I approached the yellow box. A Stagecoach single-decker bus was emerging from the side road. As I entered the box, there was enough space ahead for me to clear it — if the bus had let me through or taken the right lane, which was completely empty. Instead, the bus swung across into the left lane and stopped there, fully blocking my exit. I was left stranded in the box.

So in my view:

1. At the moment I entered the box, my exit was clear and I had no reason to think the bus would end up across my lane.
2. The bus is what caused me to stop — and it stopped where it didn't need to. The right-hand lane was wide open the whole time. If the bus had taken the right lane, I would have cleared the box. If it had simply let me through, I would have cleared the box.
3. By the time the bus had committed to crossing, I no longer had enough distance to stop short of the box. The white Jaguar PY67 CUC behind me — travelling at the same speed in the same conditions — also could not stop in time and ended up in the box too. So this wasn't a question of driving too briskly; the timing simply didn't allow it once the bus's actual path became apparent.

I also note that the relevant prohibition under TSRGD 2016 Schedule 9 Part 7 paragraph 11(1) is about a vehicle having to stop in the box "due to the presence of stationary vehicles." In my case there were no stationary vehicles at my exit point at the moment of entry — the bus was still moving, and there was clear space on the other side of the box. The stationary vehicle (the bus) only came to rest in my lane after I had entered, and only because of the line it chose.

It feels harsh to get penalised for an obstruction created by another vehicle's choice of line, when there was clearly enough room had the bus stayed on its own side.

Question
In your opinion, is there a ground for appeal here? Or am I missing something? Happy to share any additional angle from the footage.

Linked:

PCN (all pages): https://imgpile.com/p/YKVWxGX
Full 21-second video clip: https://imgpile.com/p/TupW9I6
Google Street View link to the junction:
Location (Google Maps):

Thanks for any time you can spare.

Here's a couple of cases at what seems to be the same location, where the situation seems to mirror your own.

Case Details
Case reference   2230544483
Appellant   Sebastian Jagusztyn
Authority   London Borough of Lewisham
VRM   LN15TYK
PCN Details
PCN   ZY08740822
Contravention date   02 Nov 2023
Contravention time   15:25:00
Contravention location   Verdant Lane
Penalty amount   GBP 130.00
Contravention   Entering and stopping in a box junction
Referral date   -
Decision Date   18 Jan 2024
Adjudicator   Andrew Harman
Appeal decision   Appeal allowed
Direction   
cancel the Penalty Charge Notice.

Reasons   
The appellant appeared before me today at Chancery Exchange.

The council did not attend the hearing (either in person or via telephone).

The contravention alleged in these proceedings was that this vehicle entered and stopped in a box junction when prohibited.

On the appellant's case when he entered the box his exit lane was clear.

I was satisfied on the council online footage of the incident, which I viewed with the appellant at the hearing, that it was.

The appellant said that he then had to stop in the box to give way to a bus entering the road from the right.

On the footage the bus pulls out from a side turning it in so doing failing to give way to the appellant's vehicle as it was required to do. The appellant then gave way to the bus and in so doing stopped on box junction markings.

I acknowledged the council's submissions but I did not consider that that scensario gave rise to a contavention of box junction rules and I accordingly allowed the appeal.

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Case Details
Case reference   2230234737
Appellant   Suki Jensen
Authority   London Borough of Lewisham
VRM   WA13ZPW
PCN Details
PCN   ZY07762976
Contravention date   12 Apr 2023
Contravention time   11:04:00
Contravention location   Verdant lane
Penalty amount   GBP 130.00
Contravention   Entering and stopping in a box junction
Referral date   -
Decision Date   19 Jun 2023
Adjudicator   Cordelia Fantinic
Appeal decision   Appeal allowed
Direction   cancel the Penalty Charge Notice.
Reasons   This appeal took place by telephone. Vince Fordham attended on behalf of the Appellant - he was the driver on the date of the alleged contravention. The Enforcement Authority did not attend but had not been expected.
In his written and oral submissions, the Appellant asserted that a contravention had not occurred, because the way ahead had been clear at the point of entry into the box junction and because he had stopped to avoid an accident.
A contravention occurs if a driver enters a box junction when there is no clear space to exit and, therefore, the driver has to stop the vehicle within the box junction because of the presence of stationary vehicles. A contravention will occur if all or part of the vehicle remains stationary in the box junction.
The CCTV evidence shows that there are two lanes of traffic that proceed over the box junction. The Appellant’s vehicle is positioned in the right hand lane. There is a clear space for the Appellant's vehicle to exit the box junction at the time that it enters the box junction. The vehicle comes to a stop and the footage stops before the vehicle has exited the junction.
The Appellant explained that he stopped because of an aggressive driver exiting a side road, proceeding over the give way markings, and appearing to wanting to turn right into the space that the Appellant was aiming for (on the other side of the box junction). The Appellant told me that as the other driver had already travelled over the give way markings, he perceived them to be an aggressive driver and did not want to proceed so as to avoid any risk of a collision.
The evidence shows that the Appellant’s vehicle entered the box junction when there was a clear space for his vehicle to exit. Therefore I have found that the test has not been met and that the contravention did not occur.
For the reasons set out above I allow this appeal.