About this bus gate
This bus gate runs around the clock, and it is the busiest camera site in Southampton. The council confirmed under freedom of information that Portland Terrace operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and that camera enforcement began here in February 2024.
It also cleared up a confusion in its own figures: the camera it calls the “Castle Way” camera is sited on Castle Way but enforces this bus gate, so the penalties reported under both names belong here — 25,267 in 2024/25 and 47,603 in 2025/26 between the two camera records. The council’s transport pages describe the section between Spa Road and Castle Way car park as bus, taxi and cycle only from 13 November 2023, with emergency service vehicles exempt.
The full list of permitted vehicles is still not confirmed from a traffic order: Portland Terrace does not appear as a restricted length in any of the council’s sealed bus lane schedules, and is named in them only as the junction where the Bargate Street bus-only street begins. The separate Portland Terrace order on the traffic order register is a waiting and loading order rather than a bus lane one.
Transcribed from Southampton City Council’s freedom of information response SCC-107517 (18 August 2026), request 6, and its follow-up answered 20 August 2026; and from the City of Southampton (Moving Traffic Restrictions) Order 2022 (sealed 11 January 2023), Schedules 18 to 20, in none of which Portland Terrace appears as a restricted length (tro.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk/TRO/Southampton/Moving-traffic-restrictions-2022.pdf).
Who can use it
- Buses
- Pedal cycles
- Taxis (hackney carriages)
- Private hire vehicles
This list may be incomplete. Southampton City Council does not publish which vehicles are exempt here, so the above is only what its own material confirms. Other vehicles may also be permitted. The sign at the start of the bus gate names the exemptions and is the legal authority.
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Motorcycles
Where exactly is it?
Portland Terrace, SO15 1QD — camera-enforced bus gate in the city centre. 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 Portland Terrace bus gate?
The Portland Terrace Bus Gate in Southampton 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 Portland Terrace bus gate?
Southampton City 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 Portland Terrace bus gate?
Buses, pedal cycles, taxis (hackney carriages) and private hire vehicles are permitted. Southampton City Council does not publish a full list of exempt vehicles for this bus gate, so others may also be permitted — the sign at the start of it names the exemptions and is the legal authority. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries and motorcycles.
Can I appeal a PCN from the Portland Terrace bus gate?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Make formal representations to Southampton City Council first — the authority that issued the PCN has to consider them before it can enforce the penalty. If Southampton City 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. Note that paying the £35 discounted rate accepts liability and closes the case, so challenge before you pay.