About this bus lane
The northbound approach to the Parkway North roundabout, restricted 24 hours a day, every day. The council calls this road the Stoke Gifford Bypass; the order that creates the bus lane calls it the Stoke Gifford Transport Link, Winterbourne.
Buses, community buses, dial-a-ride buses, black cabs, private hire vehicles, motorcycles and pedal cycles may all use it, which is an unusually wide list and one South Gloucestershire applies consistently across its Metrobus orders. Everything else is prohibited except to cross the lane.
The 2017 order defines five numbered bus lanes along the link and the council names a camera at one of them. This is the length the order calls bus lane 4 — the only northerly length north of Hambrook Lane, and so the only one that can be the camera the council describes as northbound before the Parkway roundabout.
Worth knowing if you ever have to argue about it: the order has a drafting slip. Article 4(3), which sets out the directions in which an exempt vehicle may proceed, names bus lane 2 twice and never mentions bus lane 4, although Article 4(5) does list all five.
The prohibition itself, in Article 3, covers all five lanes and is unaffected. The council publishes the 21-day 50% discount window but not the penalty amount online; the £70/£35 charge was confirmed by the council under FOI (FOI-2026-003852, July 2026).
Transcribed from the South Gloucestershire Council (North Fringe to Hengrove Metrobus Scheme — Zone 2) (Stoke Gifford Transport Link) (Reserved Bus Lanes) (24 Hours) Order 2017, in operation from 1 June 2017, Articles 2(1), 3 and 4.
Who can use it
- Buses and local buses
- Community buses
- Dial-a-ride buses
- Hackney carriages (taxis)
- Motorcycles
- Pedal cycles
- Private hire vehicles
- School buses
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
Where exactly is it?
Stoke Gifford Bypass northbound, from a point 7 metres north-east of its junction with Hambrook Lane running north for 538 metres, towards the Parkway North roundabout. View on Google Maps →
Got a PCN from this camera?
Don't panic, and don't ignore it. Pay £35 within 21 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 Stoke Gifford Bypass bus lane?
The Stoke Gifford Bypass Bus Lane in Stoke Gifford operates 24 hours. There is no time of day when general traffic may use it.
How much is the fine for driving through the Stoke Gifford Bypass bus lane?
South Gloucestershire 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 Stoke Gifford Bypass bus lane?
Buses and local buses, community buses, dial-a-ride buses, hackney carriages (taxis), motorcycles, pedal cycles, private hire vehicles and school buses are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans and lorries.
Can I appeal a PCN from the Stoke Gifford Bypass bus lane?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Make formal representations to South Gloucestershire Council first — the authority that issued the PCN has to consider them before it can enforce the penalty. If South Gloucestershire 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. It is worth doing: South Gloucestershire Council accepted 90% of the 1,452 formal challenges it received in 2025/26, and of the 13 that went on to the tribunal, 2 succeeded (figures from its own FOI response). Note that paying the £35 discounted rate accepts liability and closes the case, so challenge before you pay.