About this bus lane
The long westbound bus lane on Oxford Road, running out of town from around Zinzan Street, past Bedford Road, up towards George Street. It applies at any time — the Order sets no days and no hours, so there is no window when other traffic may use it.
Buses, pedal cycles, motorcycles and licensed hackney carriages may use it; private hire vehicles and minicabs may not, because the Order defines "Authorised Vehicles" as a Hackney Carriage only. Motorcycles came in on an experimental basis from 13 September 2024 and were made permanent on 3 March 2026, so any sign or listing still saying motorcycles are banned here is out of date.
The council's own January 2025 signing plan for this lane shows repeated "authorised vehicles" signs carrying bus, motorcycle and cycle symbols along its length, with "End of bus lane" plates at each end. 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 westbound", enforced since 18 November 2024. 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.
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) (Bus Services Improvement) Order 2024, in force 15 August 2024, Articles 7 and 8 and the Schedule, as varied by The Borough of Reading (Bus Lanes) (Bus Services Improvement) Variation Order 2026, in force 3 March 2026, read with the council's signing plan "Oxford Road (Westbound)" dated January 2025 at https://tro.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk/Core%20Documents/Reading/Oxford-Road-Westbound-Bus-Lane-Map.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 westbound, running out of town from around Zinzan Street past Bedford Road towards George Street, 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 (Westbound) 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.