About this bus lane
This inbound bus lane on the A4 at Cemetery Junction runs at all times — the Order that creates it sets no days or hours, so there is no off-peak window. It covers two stretches of the nearside lane either side of St Bartholomews Road.
Buses, pedal cycles, motorcycles and licensed Hackney Carriages may use it; private hire vehicles and minicabs may not, because the Order's "Authorised Vehicles" means a Hackney Carriage only. "Bus" is defined broadly here and takes in ReadiBus, patient transport services and licensed school buses as well as ordinary service buses.
Motorcycles were allowed in on an experimental basis from 13 September 2024 and the council made that permanent on 3 March 2026, so a page or sign that still says motorcycles are banned here is out of date. The Order took effect on 15 August 2024 and the camera here started issuing penalties on 16 September 2024.
Note that the same Order creates a second, separate London Road bus lane further west, by Crown Place and Kendrick Road, which is not covered by this page. Emergency services on duty, vehicles clearing an obstruction or being repaired in the lane, 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.
Reading Borough Council charges £70, halved to £35 if paid within 21 days and rising to £105 if it is still unpaid after 28 days.
Transcribed from The Borough of Reading (Bus Lanes) (Bus Services Improvement) Order 2024, Articles 7 and 8 and the Schedule, in force 15 August 2024, as varied by The Borough of Reading (Bus Lanes) (Bus Services Improvement) Variation Order 2026, in force 3 March 2026.
Who can use it
- Buses
- Pedal cycles
- Motorcycles
- Hackney carriage taxis
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Private hire vehicles
Where exactly is it?
London Road (A4) inbound at Cemetery Junction, in the nearside lane either side of St Bartholomews Road, Reading. 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 London Road (Cemetery Junction) bus lane?
The London Road (Cemetery Junction) 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 London Road (Cemetery Junction) 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 London Road (Cemetery Junction) bus lane?
Buses, pedal cycles, motorcycles and hackney carriage taxis are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries and private hire vehicles.
Can I appeal a PCN from the London Road (Cemetery Junction) 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.