About this bus gate
There is no bus gate here any more. Southampton City Council said so in as many words when asked in August 2026: “There is no Bus Gate on Portswood Road anymore.” A part-time gate did run on Portswood Broadway from 27 January 2025, and this page is kept because drivers still look for it and some will be dealing with a penalty from the period it operated.
Nothing on this stretch is enforced as a bus gate today. If you are challenging a notice issued while the gate was live, two things are worth knowing: the council never published the traffic order that created it — Portswood Road appears in none of the bus lane or bus-only street schedules of its consolidated order — and when asked under freedom of information for the gate’s hours of operation it answered for nine other sites and not for this one.
Transcribed from Southampton City Council's freedom of information follow-up response of 20 August 2026, under reference SCC-107517, and from the City of Southampton (Moving Traffic Restrictions) Order 2022 (sealed 11 January 2023), Schedules 18 to 20, in which Portswood Road does not appear (tro.trafficpenaltytribunal.gov.uk/TRO/Southampton/Moving-traffic-restrictions-2022.pdf).
Who can use it
- All vehicles — the bus gate has been removed
Where exactly is it?
Portswood Road (Portswood Broadway), between the St Denys spur and Westridge Road — bus gate removed. View on Google Maps →
Got a PCN here?
Southampton City Council's own list of camera-enforced sites does not include this one, so a camera PCN from this location would be unexpected — check the notice carefully and make sure it names the road you were actually on. If it does, it is still £70, reduced to £35 within 21 days, and our step-by-step appeal guide covers the grounds that actually win. The restriction itself is not optional: the traffic order is in force and the police keep their own power to act.
Frequently asked questions
What are the operating times of the Portswood Road bus gate?
The Portswood Road Bus Gate (removed) in Southampton operates no longer in force — the bus gate has been removed. Outside these hours, general traffic may use the road normally.
How much is the fine for driving through the Portswood Road 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 Portswood Road bus gate?
All vehicles — the bus gate has been removed are permitted.
Can I appeal a PCN from the Portswood Road 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. The grounds that win here are that your vehicle was not in the bus gate during its operating times shown above, that it was an exempt vehicle, 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.