About this bus lane
Buses and taxis only — cycles are not exempt here, unlike most of Medway's other bus lanes, so check the signs before riding through. Camera enforcement began on 12 August 2025 and runs around the clock.
This has been the sharpest of Medway's new cameras: 2,566 penalty charge notices in its first eight months, more than any other site opened in 2025. Chatham High Street also has separate pedestrian-zone and no-entry cameras at Clover Street, Batchelor Street, The Brook and Whittaker Street, which are different restrictions.
Medway Council publishes no list of its bus lane camera sites anywhere on its own website.
Transcribed from Medway Council's response to Freedom of Information request FOI006079, answered 7 August 2026, which supplied the enforcement locations, hours, permitted vehicles and camera start dates.
Who can use it
- Buses
- Taxis
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Motorcycles
- Cycles
Where exactly is it?
High Street, Chatham. View on Google Maps →
Got a PCN from this camera?
Don't panic, and don't ignore it. Pay £30 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 High Street bus lane?
The High Street Bus Lane (Chatham) in Chatham operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is no time of day when general traffic may use it.
How much is the fine for driving through the High Street bus lane?
Medway Council issues a Penalty Charge Notice of £60, reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days. There are no penalty points — it is a civil penalty.
Who is allowed to use the High Street bus lane?
Buses and taxis are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries, motorcycles and cycles.
Can I appeal a PCN from the High Street bus lane?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Make formal representations to Medway Council first — the authority that issued the PCN has to consider them before it can enforce the penalty. If Medway 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 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. It is worth doing: Medway Council accepted 14% of the 526 formal challenges it received in 2025/26 (figures from its own FOI response). Note that paying the £30 discounted rate accepts liability and closes the case, so challenge before you pay.