About this bus lane
A Transport for London bus lane on the northbound carriageway, operating 7am to 7pm on weekdays only. It does not operate at weekends, when general traffic may use the lane normally.
Transport for London, not the borough, manages and enforces this lane, so the penalty is the London rate of £160, halved to £80 if you pay within 14 days. For the record, buses, black cabs and cycles may use it; motorcycles, private hire cars and minicabs may not.
Transcribed from Transport for London’s official London bus lane database (open data, dataset last updated 17 February 2026).
Who can use it
- Buses
- Black cabs (hackney carriages)
- Pedal cycles
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Motorcycles
- Private hire vehicles
Where exactly is it?
St John Street (northbound), London. Open the exact location in Google Maps → Pin from Transport for London's own bus lane dataset.
Got a PCN from this camera?
Don't panic, and don't ignore it. Pay £80 within 14 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 St John Street bus lane?
The St John Street Bus Lane in TfL Red Routes operates 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday. Outside these hours, general traffic may use the road normally.
How much is the fine for driving through the St John Street bus lane?
Transport for London issues a Penalty Charge Notice of £160, reduced to £80 if paid within 14 days. There are no penalty points — it is a civil penalty.
Who is allowed to use the St John Street bus lane?
Buses, black cabs (hackney carriages) and pedal cycles are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries, motorcycles and private hire vehicles.
Can I appeal a PCN from the St John Street bus lane?
Yes, and it costs nothing. This bus lane is on a TfL red route, so representations go to Transport for London, which handles the challenge from start to finish. If Transport for London rejects them it must issue a Notice of Rejection, and you can then appeal free to the Environment and Traffic Adjudicators at London Tribunals. 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 (Mon–Fri 7am–7pm), that it was an exempt vehicle, or that the signage did not make the restriction clear. It is worth doing: Transport for London accepted 67% of the 11,802 formal challenges it received in 2025/26, and of the 402 that went on to the tribunal, 19 succeeded (figures from its own FOI response). Note that paying the £80 discounted rate accepts liability and closes the case, so challenge before you pay.