About this bus gate
The town-centre bus gate where Oxford Road meets Cheapside, and the strictest of the four Oxford Road restrictions. Only buses, pedal cycles and wheelchair-accessible hackney carriages may pass.
An ordinary licensed taxi that is not wheelchair accessible is not exempt here, even though it is exempt on the other three Oxford Road lanes — that is the single most important thing to know about this gate, and it catches taxi drivers out. Motorcycles are not permitted either.
It applies at any time; no hours are stated. The council's own sign layout shows "Buses, taxis and cycles only" boards with a blue roundel carrying a plate reading "and wheelchair accessible taxi only", and a camera at the junction.
This is the oldest camera on Oxford Road. 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", enforced since 22 January 2009. 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 council's bus lane enforcement sign layout drawing BLE07/OXC/SIGN "Oxford Road/Cheapside Bus Gate", revision B dated May 2013, published on the Traffic Penalty Tribunal's register at https://tro.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk/Core%20Documents/Reading/15-BLE-Map-Oxford-Road.pdf, read with the Borough of Reading (Town Centre) special access permits order at register reference RG173B, sealed 4 October 2012, whose Part V revoked the earlier Oxford Road/Cheapside entry in Schedule 3 of the 2009 Consolidation Order and replaced it with the town-centre wheelchair-accessible taxi regime.
Who can use it
- Buses
- Pedal cycles
- Wheelchair-accessible Hackney Carriages
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Motorcycles
- Private hire vehicles
- Non-wheelchair-accessible taxis
Where exactly is it?
Oxford Road at the Cheapside junction, town-centre end, eastbound, 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 gate?
The Oxford Road / Cheapside Bus Gate 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 gate?
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 gate?
Buses, pedal cycles and wheelchair-accessible hackney carriages are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries, motorcycles, private hire vehicles and non-wheelchair-accessible taxis.
Can I appeal a PCN from the Oxford Road bus gate?
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 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: 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.