About this bus lane
This inbound lane runs all day, every day — Oxfordshire County Council confirmed there is no off-peak window when general traffic may use it. Buses and authorised coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles, pedal cycles, emergency vehicles on an emergency call, and street cleaning or waste collection vehicles are all permitted.
So are vehicles needing to reach 408, 410, 412 or 414 Abingdon Road, the four properties served from inside the restriction. Cameras have enforced this lane since 15 June 2020.
Note that the council's own bus-lane page lists Abingdon Road only in its general locations list, not in the detailed bus-gate exemption table covering High Street, Castle Street, George Street, Magdalen Street, Folly Bridge, Barton Fields Road/A40, Cornwallis Road, Bartholomew Road, Elder Way and Larch Drive/Diamond Drive — so this is a bus lane rather than a bus gate, and the exemptions above are specific to it.
The council publishes the £70 penalty; the £35 / 21-day discount is the statutory England default. Enforcement here began on 15 June 2020.
Oxfordshire County Council confirmed the enforcement start date in its response to freedom of information request 28118, answered on 12 August 2026.
Transcribed from Oxfordshire County Council's response to information request 28132, handled under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and dated 10 August 2026.
Who can use it
- Buses
- Authorised coaches
- Taxis
- Private hire vehicles
- Pedal cycles
- Emergency vehicles answering an emergency call
- Vehicles needing access to 408, 410, 412 and 414 Abingdon Road
- Street cleaning and waste collection vehicles
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Motorcycles
Where exactly is it?
Abingdon Road (inbound), between Redbridge park and ride and 386/388 Abingdon Road, Oxford. View on Google Maps →
Got a PCN from this camera?
Don't panic, and don't ignore it. Pay £35 within 21 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 Abingdon Road bus lane?
The Abingdon Road Bus Lane in Oxford 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 Abingdon Road bus lane?
Oxfordshire County 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 Abingdon Road bus lane?
Buses, authorised coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, pedal cycles, emergency vehicles answering an emergency call, Vehicles needing access to 408, 410, 412 and 414 Abingdon Road and street cleaning and waste collection vehicles are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries and motorcycles.
Can I appeal a PCN from the Abingdon Road bus lane?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Make formal representations to Oxfordshire County Council first — the authority that issued the PCN has to consider them before it can enforce the penalty. If Oxfordshire County 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: Oxfordshire County Council accepted 89% of the 17,599 formal challenges it received in 2025/26, and of the 66 that went on to the tribunal, 7 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.