About this bus gate
Wigan Council operates this as a prohibition of driving except for buses and cycles on Market Street between Crab Tree Lane and Hampson Street, Monday to Saturday 10.30am to 4.00pm — protecting pedestrians, cutting bus delays and letting passengers board close to the shops. Outside those hours, and all day on Sunday, the road is open to all traffic.
Cycles may ride through at any time. The council has also confirmed that emergency vehicles are exempt, as are utility and council-authorised vehicles while they are working on this section of Market Street.
Taxis, private hire vehicles and motorcycles are not exempt, so they are caught like any car, van or lorry. It is enforced by ANPR camera under the moving traffic powers Wigan received from the Department for Transport in July 2023; the camera went live on 24 February 2025.
It is the only camera-enforced bus gate the borough operates, and a busy one: 4,974 penalty charge notices in its first thirteen months. The penalty is £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days — a figure Wigan publishes nowhere on its website and confirmed in answer to a freedom of information request.
Transcribed from Wigan Council's moving traffic offences page; The Wigan Borough (Various Streets, Atherton Town Centre) (Traffic Regulation) Order 2004, Article 5 and Schedule 3; and the council's responses to freedom of information requests FOI 20283 (21 August 2026) and FOI 20497 (14 September 2026).
Who can use it
- Buses
- Pedal cycles
- Emergency vehicles
- Utility and council-authorised vehicles working on this section
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Taxis and private hire vehicles
- Motorcycles
Where exactly is it?
Market Street, Atherton town centre, Wigan borough. 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 Market Street bus gate?
The Market Street, Atherton Bus Gate in Wigan operates Monday to Saturday 10.30am to 4.00pm. Outside these hours, general traffic may use the road normally.
How much is the fine for driving through the Market Street bus gate?
Wigan 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 Market Street bus gate?
Buses, pedal cycles, emergency vehicles and utility and council-authorised vehicles working on this section are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries, taxis and private hire vehicles and motorcycles.
Can I appeal a PCN from the Market Street bus gate?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Make formal representations to Wigan Council first — the authority that issued the PCN has to consider them before it can enforce the penalty. If Wigan 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 gate during its operating times (Mon–Sat 10.30am–4pm), that it was an exempt vehicle, or that the approach signage did not give enough warning before the point of no return. It is worth doing: Wigan Council accepted 10% of the 434 formal challenges it received in 2025/26 (figures from its own FOI response). Note that paying the £35 discounted rate accepts liability and closes the case, so challenge before you pay.