HAMMERSMITH and Fulham Council leader Nicholas Botterill has refuted claims the borough is agressively targeting motorists with its fining system.

Speaking to the Chronicle after documents made public under the Freedom of Information Act, suggested a target-based and revenue-raising culture at the council, he insisted the priority is to improve traffic flows and cut congestion.

The council issued more than £3.5m in fines last year alone, and stands accused of seeking to increase revenues from fines to £5m, fining 391 buses in a day at the notorious Bagleys Lane box junction, and waiving fines for the borough mayor Francis Stainton. See the full article here.

Councillor Botterill said in response: ''In a busy inner London borough like ours, CCTV enforcement is vital to keeping the traffic moving. Without it our streets would grind to a halt. In 2006 H&F was the most congested place in the country. Since then rush hour congestion has fallen by 13.5% in H&F. Reducing congestion makes a real difference to the quality of local residents' lives and has resulted in a consistent reduction in the number of fines issued at our most congested sites.

"If there were fundamental flaws in the design or legitimacy of our junctions and bus lanes we would be losing a large proportion of appeals, which we are not. In fact, we have one of the highest appeal success rates in London. The vast majority of drivers do not incur fines and, of those who do and then appeal, 75% are unsuccessful.

"Bagleys Lane box junction is one of the busiest junctions in London. Of the 30,000 vehicles a day using the junction, only 1 in 500 now gets a fine. CCTV officers do not receive bonuses based on how many fines are issued and CCTV enforcement has significantly improved traffic flow. 99.8% of vehicles using the junction find it perfectly possible to get through the junction without breaking the rules. The number of fines issued is down 25% over the last year which shows it is working. 90% of the people getting a fine there are non-residents."

Addressing claims that H&F council has a culture of revenue raising, the leader added:

"CCTV officers do not receive bonuses based on how many fines are issued. The email exchange that you highlight was loose talk from relatively junior members of staff that does not reflect the reality, aims, policy or culture of the council. Our CCTV officers apply nationally agreed rules in an accurate way that is all about fairness and our approach is vindicated as we have one of the best records of winning appeals in London.

"This is why the number of people receiving fines in key parts of the borough is now falling, not going up, and why delays on our roads have reduced in the morning rush hour peak by 13.5%. The only people who are fined are motorists who clearly contravene the rules. Effective enforcement leads more people to follow the rules which improves traffic flow and reduces congestion which is much appreciated by anyone who needs to travel around our borough."

And on fines being waived for the Mayor, Mr Botterill said:

"We make sure our staff use some discretion to avoid giving tickets in some circumstances. This includes where people have made minor misjudgements on yellow boxes or where road-works and other traffic conditions make it difficult to navigate specific junctions. Exemptions are also made for funeral and wedding cars waiting for a short period to pick up passengers, for people loading or unloading wheelchairs and for security vehicles delivering and picking up large cash sums. Staff were, last year, asked to apply that exemption to the Mayoral car when delivering and picking up the high value Mayoral regalia.

"It is, in our view, reasonable to allow for a short pick up period to prevent the need for an elderly lady to be out on the streets, in an area where there had been several violent muggings, wearing a considerable sum in gold regalia. We make reasonable allowances for many similar circumstances. It was not an exemption for the Mayor herself or her driver. Other PCNs have been issued in relation to the Mayor's car in different circumstances which have not been cancelled.''

What do you think? Is H&F Council profiting at the expense of motorists, or do you agree with Councillor Botterill that the council's methods are legitimate and necessary to tackle congestion. Please post your comments below.