About this bus gate
An ANPR bus gate that runs all day, every day. Buses are allowed through, and so are licensed hackney carriage taxis and licensed private hire vehicles; cars, vans, lorries and motorcycles are not.
The restriction bites on motor vehicles, so pedal cycles are not caught by it. If you check this junction on the council’s own website you may get the wrong answer.
Oxfordshire County Council’s moving traffic enforcement page describes the restriction here as “Motor vehicles prohibited – except taxis” and lists it under the Cowley low traffic neighbourhood, which reads as though buses are caught along with everyone else. Asked directly, the council explained that two separate restrictions overlap at this point: the wider low traffic neighbourhood scheme, and a bus lane created by its own traffic regulation order.
It is the bus lane that is enforced, the order names local buses as a permitted class, and a penalty issued here carries contravention code 34J, “being in a bus lane”. Enforcement began on 17 May 2024, and the camera issued 4,692 penalties in its first two financial years.
The council does not hold a record of whether a scheduled bus service currently runs through the gate.
Transcribed from Oxfordshire County Council’s response to freedom of information request 28289, answered on 4 September 2026, which sets out the permitted classes in the traffic regulation order, the 24-hour operation and the contravention code, and from its response to request 28118, answered on 12 August 2026, which gives the enforcement start date and the penalty counts.
Who can use it
- Local buses
- Taxis and licensed private hire
- Pedal cycles
- Emergency vehicles
- Royal Mail delivery vehicles
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Motorcycles
Where exactly is it?
Littlemore Road, Oxford — the ANPR enforcement point in the Cowley low traffic neighbourhood area. 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 Littlemore Road bus gate?
The Littlemore Road Bus Gate in Oxford operates all day (24 hours). There is no time of day when general traffic may use it.
How much is the fine for driving through the Littlemore Road bus gate?
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 Littlemore Road bus gate?
Local buses, taxis and licensed private hire, pedal cycles, emergency vehicles and Royal Mail delivery vehicles are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries and motorcycles.
Can I appeal a PCN from the Littlemore Road bus gate?
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 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: 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.