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Traffic Management Act 2004

This legislation enables UK local authorities to deal with traffic offences by way of CCTV. In addition to parking the Act gives councils the ability to deal with offences that have previously been dealt with by the police under criminal law. Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) may now be issued to the registered keeper of a vehicle instead of the driver being issued with a police fixed penalty notice or ultimately a summons to Court. 
 
Offences that can now be "decriminalised" and dealt with by way of PCN include the following
Parking (yellow and red lines), Bus Lanes, Yellow Box Junctions, No Entry, Illegal Turns, Congestion Charges and Prohibitions such as vehicle width, height, weight and type.
 
Drivers are used to seeing traditional traffic wardens issuing a written ticket to vehicles illegally parked. Although this may continue, some councils will use technology available to them to enforce offences. In these cases there will not be a ticket left on the vehicle, but a Notice sent to the registered keeper. In some cases the notice will include an image of the vehicle at the time of the offence.
 
Local Authorities issuing PCNs are allowed to receive the penalty income and it is important to note that the registered keeper and not the driver are liable for the charges and failure to pay could result in the fine being registered as a civil debt and recovered by the civil County Court.
 
Owners / drivers who feel that the penalty has been incorrectly or unfairly issued can appeal their case with the Civil Enforcement Adjudicator.
 
Full details and schedules of the Traffic Management Act 2004 can be found on the Department for Transport's web site  www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tpm/tmaportal/tmafeatures