About this bus lane
Balby Road carries two restrictions. A short bus gate runs 8 metres north-east from the eastern kerbline of St John’s Road, between the north-western kerbline and the adjacent island.
A bus lane also runs along the western kerbline of Balby Road and Cleveland Street, from the bus lay-by at the end of Bainbridge Road northwards to the unnamed road linking St Sepulchre Gate West and Cleveland Street. The Order sets no time-of-day limit, so the restriction applies at any time.
Motorcycles are exempt in the bus lane but not in the bus gate, so they are shown as not permitted here — check the signs for the section you are on. City of Doncaster Council’s published list of ANPR sites does not include this location, so there is no fixed enforcement camera here — but the restriction is still in force and can be enforced by other means.
Transcribed from the Doncaster Borough Council (Various Roads, Doncaster) (Bus Lanes and Bus Gates) (Consolidation) Order 2022 (ref L/88639, in force 3 June 2022), supplied by the council in response to FOI 71478 (30 July 2026).
Who can use it
- Bicycles
- Buses and vehicles with seats to carry eight people excluding the driver
- Liveried emergency service vehicles (on duty)
- Hackney carriages and licensed private hire vehicles (on duty)
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Motorcycles
Where exactly is it?
Balby Road, Doncaster — near the St John’s Road junction. View on Google Maps →
Got a PCN here?
City of Doncaster Council's own list of camera-enforced sites does not include this one, so a camera PCN from this location would be unexpected — check the notice carefully and make sure it names the road you were actually on. If it does, it is still £70, reduced to £35 within 21 days, and our step-by-step appeal guide covers the grounds that actually win. The restriction itself is not optional: the traffic order is in force and the police keep their own power to act.
Frequently asked questions
What are the operating times of the Balby Road bus lane?
The Balby Road Bus Lane in Doncaster operates at any time. There is no time of day when general traffic may use it.
How much is the fine for driving through the Balby Road bus lane?
City of Doncaster Council issues a Penalty Charge Notice of £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days. There are no penalty points — it is a civil penalty.
Who is allowed to use the Balby Road bus lane?
Bicycles, buses and vehicles with seats to carry eight people excluding the driver, liveried emergency service vehicles (on duty) and hackney carriages and licensed private hire vehicles (on duty) are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries and motorcycles.
Can I appeal a PCN from the Balby Road bus lane?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Make formal representations to City of Doncaster Council first — the authority that issued the PCN has to consider them before it can enforce the penalty. If City of Doncaster 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: City of Doncaster Council accepted 41% of the 2,684 formal challenges it received in 2025/26 (figures from its own FOI response). Note that paying the £35 discounted rate accepts liability and closes the case, so challenge before you pay.