What are the bus lane times on your road?

Operating hours, permitted vehicles and fines for UK bus lanes and bus gates — sourced from official council data, without the council-website treasure hunt.

The UK's most-fined bus lanes

Ranked by Penalty Charge Notices actually issued, using figures released to us under Freedom of Information by the 78 authorities that have answered so far. Oxford Street in Manchester alone caught 33,300 drivers in 2025/26. See the full camera league →

Bus lane

Oxford Street — Manchester

🕑 6am–9pm daily Buses, Black cabs (hackney carriages), Pedal cycles only · Manchester City Council Bus gate

Oxford Road — Manchester

🕑 6am–9pm daily Europe's busiest bus corridor — general traffic is banned 6am–9pm every day, but allowed overnight. Bus gate

Bridge Street — Manchester

🕑 24/7 Reported as the single most-fined bus lane location in the UK, catching thousands of drivers every month. Bus gate

Arundel Gate — Sheffield

🕑 24/7 Buses, Taxis, Pedal cycles only · Sheffield City Council Bus gate

High Street — Oxford

🕑 7.30am–6.30pm Local buses, Taxis and licensed private hire, Emergency vehicles only · Oxfordshire County Council Bus lane

Broad Street — Birmingham

🕑 24/7 Buses, Trams, Taxis (Hackney Carriages/ ‘black cabs’), Bicycles only · Birmingham City Council

How much do councils make from bus lanes?

We ask every enforcing authority in the UK for its Penalty Charge Notice figures under Freedom of Information. So far 78 have answered: 10,732,918 bus lane fines and £314.11m gross.

Manchester

772,948 PCNs · £5.49m

Bristol

700,630 PCNs · £20.81m

Birmingham

611,024 PCNs · £20.46m

Brighton & Hove

478,285 PCNs · £14.99m

Essex

465,879 PCNs

Compare every authority →

PCNs, income and appeal success rates for all 78

Browse by city

The areas where we track the most camera-enforced bus lanes and bus gates — every area is in the full A–Z directory.

TfL Red Routes

203 bus lanes & bus gates tracked

Birmingham

156 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Erdington, Handsworth, Selly Oak +17 more

Belfast

64 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Falls, Shankill, Andersonstown +9 more

Glasgow

61 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Partick, Govan, Dennistoun +13 more

Swindon

47 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Old Town, Stratton St Margaret, Highworth +9 more

Reading

41 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Caversham, Tilehurst, Whitley +5 more

Nottingham

39 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Sneinton, Basford, Bulwell +11 more

Newcastle upon Tyne

36 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Gosforth, Jesmond, Byker +10 more

Lambeth

36 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Brixton, Clapham, Streatham +9 more

Southwark

32 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Peckham, Dulwich, East Dulwich +10 more

Stoke-on-Trent

32 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Hanley, Burslem, Tunstall +7 more

Leeds

31 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Headingley, Armley, Chapeltown +12 more

Edinburgh

30 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Leith, Morningside, Corstorphine +11 more

Plymouth

28 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Devonport, Mutley, Stonehouse +9 more

Bristol

26 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Clifton, Bedminster, Southville +12 more

Sheffield

26 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Hillsborough, Ecclesall, Attercliffe +12 more

Ealing

26 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Southall, Acton, Hanwell +6 more

Greenwich

24 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Woolwich, Eltham, Charlton +7 more

Camden

23 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Camden Town, Kentish Town, Hampstead +10 more

Aberdeen

23 bus lanes & bus gates tracked

Hammersmith & Fulham

22 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Hammersmith, Fulham, Shepherd's Bush +6 more

Manchester

20 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Didsbury, Chorlton, Withington +13 more

Brent

20 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Wembley, Kilburn, Willesden +11 more

Cardiff

19 bus lanes & bus gates trackedCovers Canton, Roath, Splott +13 more

All 175 areas →

Every council and borough we track, A–Z

Know your rights before you pay

Free, plain-English guides to fines, appeals and the rules.

Bus Lane Fines in the UK (2026): How Much They Cost & How to Pay

How much is a bus lane fine in the UK? Penalty amounts for London, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, early-payment discounts, and what happens if you don’t pay.

How to Appeal a Bus Lane Fine (PCN) — Step by Step

Got a bus lane PCN? The grounds that win appeals — unclear signage, wrong details, emergencies — how to make representations, and how to escalate to the tribunal free.

Bus Lane Appeal Grounds: The Statutory Lists for Every Part of the UK

Bus lane PCN appeal grounds are fixed by law, not by your council — and the UK has five lists. Every ground cited, plus how often challenges actually win.

Who Can Drive in a Bus Lane? Taxis, Motorbikes, Cyclists & More

Which vehicles can legally use UK bus lanes? The rules for taxis, private hire, motorcycles, cyclists, electric cars and blue badge holders — and why every lane is different.

London Bus Lane Times Explained: Red Routes, 24/7 Lanes & £160 Fines

Since September 2020, bus lanes on London’s TfL red routes operate 24/7. Learn how to read London bus lane signs, borough vs red route differences, and the £160 penalty.

How to Check Any Bus Lane’s Operating Times (Even If It’s Not Listed Here)

Can’t find a bus lane in our database? Here’s exactly how to look up any UK bus lane’s hours: roadside signs, council websites, Traffic Regulation Orders and Street View.

How to Check If You Have a Bus Lane Fine (Before the Letter Arrives)

Worried you drove in a bus lane? How PCNs reach you, how long they take to arrive, whether you can check by registration, and what to do if the letter never came.

Bus Lane Cameras: How They Work & How to Find Their Locations

How bus lane ANPR cameras catch drivers, whether they flash, whether every bus lane has one, and how to find camera locations for your city.

Can Ubers & Private Hire Vehicles Use Bus Lanes?

Ubers and minicabs usually cannot use bus lanes — "taxi" on the sign means black cabs only. The rules, and the cities where private hire is allowed.

Do Bus Lane Fines Come With Penalty Points? (England, Scotland & Wales)

Bus lane fines never add points to your licence anywhere in the UK. What that means, Scotland’s £100 charge, and when the police are involved.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find out a bus lane’s operating times?

Search the road name above — each page shows the hours, permitted vehicles and penalty, with a link to the official council source. If a lane isn’t listed yet, the roadside sign is definitive: if no times are shown on the sign, the lane operates 24 hours.

How much is a bus lane fine?

Typically £70 in England (reduced to £35 if paid early), £100/£50 in Scotland, and £160/£80 on London’s red routes. See our full guide to bus lane fines for details.

Can I drive in a bus lane outside its operating hours?

Yes. When a bus lane’s signed hours are not in operation, any vehicle may use it. 24-hour lanes and most bus gates, however, are always restricted.

Where does this data come from?

Every entry is compiled from the enforcing council’s own published information and linked to the source. We show a “last checked” date on every page and flag any entry we haven’t fully verified.