About this bus lane
A short but easily-missed restriction on the eastbound approach to Bedford Road, coming into town. Where Oxford Road widens to three lanes at the junction, the outside lane is reserved: buses, licensed taxis, pedal cycles and motorcycles only, and all other traffic must turn left.
It starts 22 metres west of the junction and runs to the junction itself. It applies at any time — no hours are stated.
The council's own sign layout shows a board reading "Buses, taxis, cycles and motorcycles only" over that lane with "All other traffic" and left-turn arrows over the others, plus blue roundels with bus, taxi, cycle and motorcycle symbols and a camera near George Street. Private hire vehicles are not exempt.
Note this is the eastbound restriction; the separate westbound lane on the same stretch of Oxford Road is a different restriction with its own camera. Oxford Road has four separate camera-enforced restrictions and they do not all admit the same vehicles, so check you are reading the right one: the Cheapside bus gate in the town centre (wheelchair-accessible taxis only, not ordinary taxis), the eastbound lane on the approach to Bedford Road, the long westbound lane from Zinzan Street towards George Street, and the outbound lane at Grovelands Road.
The council lists this as the camera-enforced section "Oxford Road eastbound at Bedford Road", enforced since 29 September 2016. The camera location and enforcement start date are transcribed from Reading Borough Council's response to FOI request FOI/164207/2026, received 27 July 2026.
Transcribed from The Borough of Reading (Bus Lanes) (Traffic Regulation) Consolidation Order 2009, Schedule 4 "Prohibition of Vehicles Except Buses, Cycles, Hackney Carriages and Motorcycles", which gives this length by location and description and states no hours of operation, published at https://tro.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk/TRO/Reading/RG180B.pdf, read with the council's sign layout drawing "Oxford Road (Bedford Road)" dated November 2016 at https://tro.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk/Core%20Documents/Reading/28-BLE-Map-Oxford-Rd-Bedford-Rd-Nov-2016.pdf.
Who can use it
- Buses
- Pedal cycles
- Motorcycles
- Hackney carriage taxis
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Private hire vehicles
Where exactly is it?
Oxford Road eastbound, the outside lane of the three-lane approach to Bedford Road, from 22 metres west of the junction, 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 Oxford Road bus lane?
The Oxford Road (Bedford Road, Eastbound) 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 Oxford 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 Oxford Road 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 Oxford 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.