About this bus gate
A bus and cycle link in Washington, 52 metres long, open to buses and pedal cycles on any day at any time. Taxis have no exemption here, hackney carriage or minicab.
Emergency vehicles on a call, council vehicles on statutory duties and vehicles working on the road or its utilities may pass when no other road will do. Sunderland City Council records this site as Raby Road and it appears under that name in the council's penalty figures, while the street sign at the gate itself reads Brancepeth Road — it is one restriction and one camera, not two.
The council's own Orders use both names for the same length of road, the 2012 Order listing it under Brancepeth Road and the 2022 amendment relisting it under Raby Road from the identical starting point. It is one of only three camera sites in the city: the council confirmed in August 2026 that it does not camera-enforce bus lanes at all, only bus gates.
This one has issued 3,919 penalties in three years. The penalty is £70, halved to £35 if you pay within 21 days.
Transcribed from The City of Sunderland (Washington Area Bus Links) Order 2012, Articles 3 to 5, as amended by The City of Sunderland (Washington Area Bus Links and Bus Lanes) Amendment Order 2022 and its replacement Schedule 21.20, in force 29 March 2022.
Who can use it
- Buses
- Pedal cycles
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Motorcycles
- Taxis
Where exactly is it?
Raby Road at Brancepeth Road, Washington — 52 metres running west from a point 21.2 metres west of the eastern boundary of 1 Brancepeth Road. 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 Brancepeth Road bus gate?
The Brancepeth Road Bus Gate in Sunderland operates any day at any time. There is no time of day when general traffic may use it.
How much is the fine for driving through the Brancepeth Road bus gate?
Sunderland City 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 Brancepeth Road bus gate?
Buses and pedal cycles are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries, motorcycles and taxis.
Can I appeal a PCN from the Brancepeth Road bus gate?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Make formal representations to Sunderland City Council first — the authority that issued the PCN has to consider them before it can enforce the penalty. If Sunderland City 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. It is worth doing: Sunderland City Council accepted 50% of the 1,552 formal challenges it received in 2025/26, and of the 4 that went on to the tribunal, 0 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.