Commentary on Sections Specific provision for Wales and for London Section 72: Civil penalties for road traffic contraventions
200.Section 72 enables the appropriate national authority (the Secretary of State in respect of England and the National Assembly for Wales in respect of Wales) to make regulations for the imposition and payment of penalty charges for traffic contraventions that are subject to civil enforcement and which are committed within an area that is designated as a civil enforcement area for the purpose of enforcing those contraventions. The regulations must specify the person or (as is expected will be the case in respect of the London lorry ban) the persons liable for payment of the penalty charge. They must also ensure either that that person (or those persons) will not be exposed to criminal proceedings for an act which is subject to civil enforcement, or that any civil enforcement penalty will be cancelled or refunded if criminal proceedings have been or are instituted. Regulations under this section may specify exemptions from penalty charges, discounts and surcharges. The regulations may require certain penalty charges to be imposed only on the basis of a record produced by an approved device or a statement made by a civil enforcement officer appointed by an enforcement authority.