About this bus gate
This bus gate is closed to general traffic around the clock: the traffic order prohibits any vehicle other than a bus, a pedal cycle or an authorised vehicle at all times, on all days. It covers roughly 150 metres of Grovebury Road running north-west from the Grovebury Farm Close junction.
The exemptions match those at the council's Biggleswade gate — ambulance, fire and police vehicles, any vehicle under police direction, Dial-a-Ride, the council's Civil Protection Unit in an emergency, a doctor answering an emergency call on a green flashing light, and utility or building works carried out with the council's prior written consent.
Taxis and private hire vehicles are not exempt here, so a private hire driver passing through is treated the same as any other car. It is much the quieter of Central Bedfordshire's two cameras: 93 penalties in its first reported period against 1,395 at Venus Avenue.
One caution on the start date — the council has given two different ones, 7 May 2025 in its August 2026 response and 23 September 2025 in its earlier camera list, while the order itself has been in force since 12 September 2023, so exactly when camera enforcement began is not settled.
Local reporting in 2024 described a developer-funded camera at a bus gate on the Roman Gate housing development off Grovebury Road; the council says it is unaware of any Roman Road bus gate development in Leighton Buzzard and uses that name for none of its sites.
Transcribed from the Central Bedfordshire Council (Grovebury Road, Leighton Buzzard) (Bus Gate) Order 2023, sealed 1 September 2023 and operative from 12 September 2023, disclosed by the council under freedom of information request 11333173 and republished on this site.
Who can use it
- Buses
- Pedal cycles
- Emergency vehicles (in an emergency)
- Dial-a-Ride vehicles
- Authorised vehicles
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Taxis
- Private hire vehicles
- Motorcycles
Where exactly is it?
Grovebury Road, Leighton Buzzard. View on Google Maps →
Got a PCN from this camera?
Don't panic, and don't ignore it. Pay £35 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 Grovebury Road bus gate?
The Grovebury Road Bus Gate (Leighton Buzzard) in Central Bedfordshire operates at all times, on all days. There is no time of day when general traffic may use it.
How much is the fine for driving through the Grovebury Road bus gate?
Central Bedfordshire Council issues a Penalty Charge Notice of £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days. There are no penalty points — it is a civil penalty.
Who is allowed to use the Grovebury Road bus gate?
Buses, pedal cycles, emergency vehicles (in an emergency), Dial-a-Ride vehicles and authorised vehicles are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries, taxis, private hire vehicles and motorcycles.
Can I appeal a PCN from the Grovebury Road bus gate?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Make formal representations to Central Bedfordshire Council first — the authority that issued the PCN has to consider them before it can enforce the penalty. If Central Bedfordshire Council rejects them it must issue a Notice of Rejection, and you can then appeal free to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Its adjudicators are lawyers independent of the enforcing authority, and their decision is binding on both sides. This bus gate 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 approach signage did not give enough warning before the point of no return. It is worth doing: Central Bedfordshire Council accepted 10% of the 189 formal challenges it received in 2025/26, and of the 28 that went on to the tribunal, 4 succeeded (figures from its own FOI response). Note that paying the £35 discounted rate accepts liability and closes the case, so challenge before you pay.