Council or transport authority Yellow box PCN

This situation: The offence is stopping in the box due to stationary vehicles ahead. If you stopped for another reason, the charge may not fit. - full question

Did you stop because traffic ahead was already stopped and blocking you? Or did you stop for a different reason?

Challenge guidance for this situation

This page explains a common yellow box PCN appeal angle. If the checker brought you here, the guidance below is adjusted using your yes/no answer in the URL. This is not legal advice.

JavaScript is off, so this page is showing the default challenge wording for this topic. If your answer was "no" or "not sure", use the guidance cautiously and compare it with the full question above.

Your draft letter

Replace everything in [square brackets] with your own details. Scroll inside the box if the text is long.

Subject: Representation / appeal: yellow box [PCN number]

I dispute this penalty. I did not stop in the yellow box because of stationary vehicles blocking my exit ahead.

I stopped because: [red light / pedestrians / giving way / emergency / to avoid a hazard / other: describe in simple terms].

The contravention is about stopping due to stationary traffic ahead blocking the way out. That is not what happened in my case.

I ask the council to review the CCTV in light of this. [Add date, time, location, registration.]

Yours faithfully,

[Name]

Guidance for your case

What to do next

You said you stopped for a reason other than stationary traffic blocking your exit. That can be a strong defence. Say what actually made you stop.

Why this can matter

The yellow box rule targets stopping because of a queue of stationary vehicles blocking your exit. Adjudicators have allowed appeals where the driver stopped for lights, pedestrians, giving way, or other reasons, not that queue.

If you stopped for lights or people instead of the queue, say so plainly.