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 is a peak-hours one, not a 24-hour one: it applies Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 9.30am and from 3.30pm to 6pm, and outside those times the lane is open to all traffic.
The 1996 traffic order that creates it exempts pedal cycles and vehicles carrying disabled passengers, and separately exempts vehicles being used for ambulance, fire brigade or police purposes, council refuse collection, building or demolition work, removing an obstruction, maintaining sewers or gas, water, electricity and telecoms apparatus, placing or maintaining traffic signs, other statutory functions of a local authority, and delivering or collecting post.
You may also cross the lane to turn in or out of a side road, driveway or accessway through a gap in the white line, or to avoid an accident. Taxis are not exempt.
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. Article 5 sets the times without naming the days; the Monday-to-Friday restriction is as stated by the council in its freedom of information response 1041/2627 dated 25 August 2026, which also supplied the order.
Transcribed from The County Council of Cleveland (Norton Road, Stockton-on-Tees) (Reserved Bus Lane) (Peak Hours) Order 1996, which came into force on 6 March 1996: Article 3(1)(a) and (b) for the extent, Article 5 for the hours, and Articles 9 and 11 for the exempt vehicles.
Who can use it
- Buses
- Pedal cycles
- Vehicles carrying disabled passengers
- Emergency vehicles
- Refuse collection vehicles
- Utility and roadworks vehicles
- Royal Mail vehicles
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Motorcycles
- Taxis
Where exactly is it?
Norton Road, Stockton-on-Tees — on the east side from Keithlands Avenue to about 20 metres north of Greylands Avenue, from Prospect Place to Mount Pleasant Road, and from Wynyard Street to about 40 metres north of Maritime Road; on the west side from Norton Avenue to Chesterton Court, and from about 105 metres north of Chesterton Court to about 80 metres south of the Red Lion roundabout. 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 Norton Road bus lane?
The Norton Road Bus Lane in Stockton-on-Tees operates Monday to Friday, 7.30am to 9.30am and 3.30pm to 6pm. Outside these hours, general traffic may use the road normally.
How much is the fine for driving through the Norton Road 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 Norton Road bus lane?
Buses, pedal cycles, vehicles carrying disabled passengers, emergency vehicles, refuse collection vehicles, utility and roadworks vehicles and Royal Mail vehicles are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries, motorcycles and taxis.
Can I appeal a PCN from the Norton Road 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. The grounds that win here are that your vehicle was not in the bus lane during its operating times shown above, that it was an exempt vehicle, 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.