About this bus lane
Kings Road has bus lanes in both directions and, unusually for Reading, private hire vehicles are permitted in both of them alongside buses, pedal cycles, motorcycles and licensed hackney carriages. Everywhere else in the borough a minicab on a booking is excluded, so do not carry the Kings Road rule across town.
Both directions apply at any time — neither Order sets days or hours. Outbound, eastbound, there are three stretches: from 7 metres west of Forbury Road to the Forbury Road junction, from 9 metres east of that junction for 190 metres, and from 8 metres east of Orts Road to 44 metres west of Amity Road.
The inbound lane runs the other way under its own 2020 Order. Emergency services on duty, vehicles clearing an obstruction, utility and council vehicles working on the street, refuse and road-cleansing vehicles and Royal Mail vans serving adjacent premises are all separately exempt, as is briefly crossing the white line to reach off-street premises that can only be entered from the lane.
Transcribed from The Borough of Reading (Kings Road) (Bus Lanes) Order 2024, in force 9 September 2024, Articles 9 and 10 and the Schedule headed "Prohibition of vehicles except buses, pedal cycles, motorcycles and authorised vehicles only", read with The Borough of Reading (Kings Road Inbound) Bus Lane Traffic Regulation Order 2020, whose Article 4 permits a bus, cycle, motor cycle or Authorised Vehicle and whose definitions treat "Taxi" as including a Licensed Hire Car — both published on the Traffic Penalty Tribunal's traffic regulation order register at https://tro.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk/TRO/Reading/.
Who can use it
- Buses
- Pedal cycles
- Motorcycles
- Hackney carriages (licensed taxis)
- Private hire vehicles (on a booking)
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
Where exactly is it?
Kings Road — town-centre bus lanes, both directions (west-to-east and east-to-west). 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 Kings Road bus lane?
The Kings Road Bus Lane in Reading 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 Kings Road bus lane?
Reading Borough 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 Kings Road bus lane?
Buses, pedal cycles, motorcycles, hackney carriages (licensed taxis) and private hire vehicles (on a booking) are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans and lorries.
Can I appeal a PCN from the Kings Road bus lane?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Make formal representations to Reading Borough Council first — the authority that issued the PCN has to consider them before it can enforce the penalty. If Reading Borough 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: Reading Borough Council accepted 22% of the 8,297 formal challenges it received in 2023/24, and of the 127 that went on to the tribunal, 10 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.