About this bus lane
A westbound bus gate on Stanshawe Road, beyond a point 5 metres east of the Caversham Road junction. It applies at any time — the Order states no days and no hours.
Buses, pedal cycles and wheelchair-accessible hackney carriages may pass. A hackney carriage is only exempt here if it is wheelchair accessible — the Order permits a "wheelchair accessible taxi", meaning a licensed hackney carriage built or adapted to load a passenger in a wheelchair from the side.
An ordinary taxi is not exempt, and neither is a private hire vehicle or minicab. Pedal cycles are permitted: this Order names them expressly.
Transcribed from the Borough of Reading (Town Centre) (Bus and Wheelchair Accessible Taxi Lanes) (Special Access Permits) Order 2012, sealed 4 October 2012, Schedule 2 "Prohibition of vehicles except bus, cycle and wheelchair accessible taxi", item 4, published on the Traffic Penalty Tribunal's traffic regulation order register at https://tro.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk/TRO/Reading/RG173B.pdf.
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?
Stanshawe Road bus lane. 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 Stanshawe Road bus lane?
The Stanshawe 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 Stanshawe 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 Stanshawe Road bus lane?
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 Stanshawe 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.