About this bus gate
This bus gate is watched by a camera and it catches more drivers than anywhere else in Staffordshire. The restriction runs 24 hours a day on High Street and Market Place in Burton upon Trent town centre.
Local buses and pedal cycles may go through at any time. Licensed taxis may go through only between 4pm and 10am — drive it as a taxi between 10am and 4pm and you are in contravention, which is the detail most likely to catch a driver out here.
The taxi exemption is for hackney carriages licensed under section 37 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847; the order does not name private hire vehicles, so a minicab is not covered at any hour. In answering a freedom of information request the council said in a covering letter that its five camera sites all run 24 hours with private hire and emergency vehicles exempt; the order for this site does not bear that out, and where the two disagree the order is the law.
The council began issuing penalties here in September 2021: 2,710 in 2022, 2,060 in 2023 and 1,601 in 2024. Staffordshire County Council’s bus lane pages still state a £60 penalty reduced to £30 within 14 days, but its own penalty records show £70 charged on every notice from 2023 onward, reduced to £35 for early payment; £60/£30 applied up to 2022.
The council has confirmed the current charge is £70, halved to £35, but would not say what date the increase took effect, so check the amount printed on the notice itself. Penalties are processed for Staffordshire by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, so a Staffordshire bus lane PCN is paid and challenged through Stoke’s parking service and the notice number begins “GE”.
The order is the Staffordshire County Council (High Street and Market Place, Burton upon Trent) (Local Buses and Pedal Cycles Only) (Taxis Only 4pm to 10am) and (Revocation of Prohibition of Driving) Order 2021, made on 2 September 2021 and in operation from 6 September 2021, which provides that “no person shall cause or permit any vehicle other than a Bus, Pedal Cycle or Taxi (between 4pm and 10am only) to enter, proceed or be in” the lengths of road specified.
Transcribed from Staffordshire County Council’s response to freedom of information request F0038517, answered on 4 September 2026, which supplied the traffic regulation orders for the county’s camera-enforced sites, and from its earlier response F0037975, 21 August 2026, which lists those sites with the month enforcement began at each.
Who can use it
- Local buses
- Pedal cycles
- Taxis (hackney carriages) 4pm–10am only
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Motorcycles
- Private hire vehicles
Where exactly is it?
High Street, Burton upon Trent town centre. View on Google Maps →
Got a PCN from this camera?
Don't panic, and don't ignore it. Pay £35 within 14 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 High Street bus gate?
The High Street Bus Gate, Burton upon Trent in Staffordshire operates all day (24 hours) — taxis permitted 4pm to 10am only. There is no time of day when general traffic may use it.
How much is the fine for driving through the High Street bus gate?
Staffordshire County Council issues a Penalty Charge Notice of £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days. There are no penalty points — it is a civil penalty.
Who is allowed to use the High Street bus gate?
Local buses, pedal cycles and taxis (hackney carriages) 4pm–10am only are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries, motorcycles and private hire vehicles.
Can I appeal a PCN from the High Street bus gate?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Make formal representations to Staffordshire County Council first — the authority that issued the PCN has to consider them before it can enforce the penalty. If Staffordshire County 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.