About this bus lane
The order that creates this bus lane sets no operating times, so it is shown here as running around the clock — the cautious reading. It covers Duncrue Street from a point 53 metres south of the southbound M2 off-slip down to the junction with Nelson Street, and then Nelson Street as far as Dock Street.
Two features catch drivers out. It is one-way for the vehicles that are allowed in it: even a bus may only travel south along it.
And crossing the lane is expressly allowed — the prohibition bites on entering, proceeding or waiting in it, not on driving straight over it. The order permits buses and nothing else, a bus meaning a public service vehicle built or adapted to carry 12 or more passengers, so cycles, taxis and motorcycles are not named as exempt even though they are in most Northern Ireland bus lanes.
That order dates from 1992, and a later consolidating order — The Bus Lanes Order (Northern Ireland) 2002 — is not published anywhere the public can read it: legislation.gov.uk returns nothing for it, while the Bus Lanes (Belfast City Centre) Order (Northern Ireland) 2018 revokes one item of its Schedule 1 and so confirms it exists and is still partly in force.
Its times or permitted vehicles may since have been widened, so this entry is left marked unconfirmed. You may still drive here where it is reasonably necessary for police, military, fire brigade, ambulance or medical purposes, on district council or Departmental business under statutory powers, or in connection with the supply of electricity or a telegraphic line.
The penalty is £90, halved to £45 if you pay within 14 days. This road also has no row in Annex 1 to DfI's response to information request DFI/2026-0452, its table of bus lane operating times.
Note that this Annex is not a complete list of enforced locations: the same response names Donegall Square South as one of DfI's five fixed camera sites, yet Donegall Square South has no row in the Annex at all. Absence from the Annex therefore tells you nothing about whether a lane is enforced.
Transcribed from The Bus Lane (Duncrue Street/Nelson Street, Belfast) Order (Northern Ireland) 1992 (S.R. 1992 No. 388), made 2 September 1992 and in operation from 15 October 1992, Articles 2 to 4 and the Schedule.
Who can use it
- Buses
This list may be incomplete. Department for Infrastructure (NI) does not publish which vehicles are exempt here, so the above is only what its own material confirms. Other vehicles may also be permitted. The sign at the start of the bus lane names the exemptions and is the legal authority.
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
Where exactly is it?
Duncrue Street, Belfast — Inbound. View on Google Maps →
Got a PCN from this camera?
Don't panic, and don't ignore it. Pay £45 within 14 days to halve the charge — or if the signage was unclear, the details are wrong, or you had a genuine reason to be in the lane, consider challenging it first. Our step-by-step appeal guide covers the grounds that actually win.
Frequently asked questions
What are the operating times of the Duncrue Street bus lane?
The Duncrue Street Bus Lane in Belfast operates 24 hours a day, every day. There is no time of day when general traffic may use it.
How much is the fine for driving through the Duncrue Street bus lane?
Department for Infrastructure (NI) issues a Penalty Charge Notice of £90, reduced to £45 if paid within 14 days. There are no penalty points — it is a civil penalty.
Who is allowed to use the Duncrue Street bus lane?
Buses are permitted. Department for Infrastructure (NI) does not publish a full list of exempt vehicles for this bus lane, so others may also be permitted — the sign at the start of it names the exemptions and is the legal authority. Not permitted: cars, vans and lorries.
Can I appeal a PCN from the Duncrue Street bus lane?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Bus lane PCNs in Northern Ireland are issued by APCOA on behalf of the Department for Infrastructure, so your representations go to the Parking Enforcement Processing Unit rather than to a council. If the Parking Enforcement Processing Unit rejects them it must issue a Notice of Rejection, and you can then appeal free within 28 days of that rejection to the Northern Ireland Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Its adjudicators are lawyers independent of the enforcing authority, and their decision is binding on both sides. This bus lane operates 24 hours, so "I was outside the operating times" is not open to you — the grounds that win here are that your vehicle was exempt, that the details on the PCN are wrong, or that the signage did not make the restriction clear. Note that paying the £45 discounted rate accepts liability and closes the case, so challenge before you pay.