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. This one is not a painted bus lane but a one-way street that buses are allowed to drive the wrong way along, in force at all times.
Westbury Street is one-way northbound between Mandale Road and a point about 25 metres north of Chelmsford Street; the 1983 order that imposes it exempts stage carriage and express carriage vehicles — the 1983 term for buses and coaches — along with council refuse collection, mechanical street cleaning, mechanical sweeping and gully emptying vehicles.
Pedal cycles are not named in that list, so the order as made gives cyclists no contraflow exemption. Signs and markings put up since 1983 may well permit contraflow cycling, so check the signs at the Mandale Road end before riding against the flow.
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 hours, 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 (Westbury Street, Thornaby) (One-Way Traffic) Order 1983, which came into operation on 30 May 1983: Article 2 for the extent and direction, and Article 3 for the exempt vehicles.
Who can use it
- Buses
- Coaches
- Council refuse, street-cleaning and gully-emptying vehicles
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Motorcycles
- Taxis
Where exactly is it?
Westbury Street, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees — southbound from the junction with Mandale Road to a point about 25 metres north of the junction with Chelmsford Street. 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 Westbury Street bus lane?
The Westbury 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 Westbury 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 Westbury Street bus lane?
Buses, coaches and council refuse, street-cleaning and gully-emptying vehicles are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries, motorcycles and taxis.
Can I appeal a PCN from the Westbury 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.