Motorists could be fined up to £160 from Monday by falling foul of a little-known speed camera rule. The School Streets initiative is a popular temporary road closure adopted by many councils as a way to make local areas safer during term-time.
The scheme creates temporary barriers on certain roads, banning vehicles from certain routes at school pick-up times. The plan minimises the volume of cars entering the road at the busiest times, ensuring the safety of students, parents and teachers. The systems usually rely on ANPR cameras, with road users likely to be slapped with fines of up to £160 if they are spotted on cameras. However, a leading expert has warned it is possible that local councils have not disabled the cameras, with the technology unable to determine that it is half term.
Chris Coops, a specialist at number plate experts Mr Plates explained: “October half-term starts this week for many areas, but drivers are wrongly assuming the School Streets restrictions are lifted automatically.
“In reality, not all councils disengage their ANPR cameras reliably, and if the physical ‘Term Time Only’ signs aren’t clearly covered or removed, the fines still stand. The system doesn’t know it’s half-term unless someone manually switches it off.
“These zones rely 100% on ANPR. The moment your number plate crosses the line during restricted hours, a Penalty Charge Notice is automatically generated. Your plate is the only piece of evidence, and the fine doesn’t care whether the children are off school or not.”
Motorists visiting friends or family in different parts of the country during the half-term holiday could also be most at risk. Experts warn that some independent schools and local councils operate on different half-term dates.
It means road users travelling around an unfamiliar area could trigger a camera and be hit with a fine for unintentionally breaking the rule. Chris urged road users to take extra precautions from Monday and do their research before heading off anywhere new.
He added: “If you’re driving near a school this week, assume the restriction is still active unless you can clearly see that the signs have been folded away or removed. If you do get a fine, check the school’s term dates against the date of the alleged offence as that’s one of the strongest grounds for appeal.”
