About this bus lane
Stockton-on-Tees is not enforcing this bus lane with a camera. The council confirmed in August 2026 that bus lane enforcement has not been carried out since the Covid pandemic and that there are currently no camera-enforced bus lanes in operation anywhere in the borough.
That is not permission to drive in it: the traffic order is still in force, Cleveland Police keep the power to enforce it, and the restriction is signed and lined on the road. The restriction itself runs 24 hours a day, every day.
Four separate stretches make it up. A with-flow bus and cycle lane on Bridge Road and two contraflow bus and cycle lanes on High Street are open to buses and pedal cycles.
A further contraflow lane on the east side of the west carriageway, and the bus gate between the two carriageways, are open to buses only — cycles are not exempt from those two, and the bus gate may only be used in the south-west to north-east direction. Separately, the length of High Street between the East Side Service Road and Church Road is closed to general traffic from 6am to 6pm: between 9.30am and 4.30pm only buses, pedal cycles and permit holders may drive through, and between 6am and 9.30am and again between 4.30pm and 6pm the same applies with an added exemption for vehicles loading or unloading goods.
The council's reply mentions taxis and trams being permitted "in some cases", but that wording is lifted from the order's general definition of a bus gate, which quotes the Traffic Signs Manual — no article of the Stockton order actually admits taxis or trams, so do not rely on it.
If the council does resume enforcement, note that its penalty is not the usual England figure: Stockton charges £60, reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days, rising to £90 if you neither pay nor appeal within 28 days. The order, and the confirmation that no camera enforcement is in operation, were supplied by the council in its freedom of information response 1041/2627 dated 25 August 2026.
Transcribed from The Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, Stockton High Street, Traffic Regulation Order 2017, which came into operation on 29 June 2017: Articles 3 to 6 and Schedules 1 to 4 for the bus lanes and bus gate, and Articles 8 and 9 with Schedules 6 and 7 for the daytime prohibition of driving.
Who can use it
- Buses
- Pedal cycles
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Motorcycles
- Taxis
Where exactly is it?
Stockton High Street and Bridge Road, Stockton-on-Tees — a with-flow bus and cycle lane on the west carriageway of Bridge Road near Yarm Lane, contraflow bus and cycle lanes on the east carriageway of High Street between Yarm Lane/Bridge Road and Finkle Street, a buses-only contraflow lane on the east side of the west carriageway, and a buses-only bus gate linking the two carriageways. View on Google Maps →
Got a PCN here?
Stockton-on-Tees Borough 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 £60, reduced to £30 within 14 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 High Street bus lane?
The Stockton High Street Bus Lane in Stockton-on-Tees operates 24 hours, every day. There is no time of day when general traffic may use it.
How much is the fine for driving through the High Street bus lane?
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council issues a Penalty Charge Notice of £60, reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days. There are no penalty points — it is a civil penalty.
Who is allowed to use the High Street bus lane?
Buses and pedal cycles are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries, motorcycles and taxis.
Can I appeal a PCN from the High Street bus lane?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Make formal representations to Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council first — the authority that issued the PCN has to consider them before it can enforce the penalty. If Stockton-on-Tees 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. Note that paying the £30 discounted rate accepts liability and closes the case, so challenge before you pay.