About this bus lane
Buses only — the strictest of Medway's bus lanes, and unlike the Chatham Waterfront lanes it exempts neither taxis nor cycles. Camera enforcement started on 24 May 2024 and runs around the clock.
It caught drivers out heavily in its first year: 2,313 penalty charge notices in 2024/25, falling to 1,293 in 2025/26 as drivers learned the restriction. 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
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Taxis
- Motorcycles
- Cycles
Where exactly is it?
Kestrel Road, 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 Kestrel Road bus lane?
The Kestrel Road Bus Lane 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 Kestrel Road 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 Kestrel Road bus lane?
Buses are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries, taxis, motorcycles and cycles.
Can I appeal a PCN from the Kestrel Road 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.