About this bus gate
Buses, licensed hackney carriages (taxis), private hire vehicles and pedal cycles are permitted. The council publishes this road in its bus lane enforcement programme, but it does not appear anywhere in the council’s current list of camera-enforced locations, and it issued no penalty charge notice in any of the five years to March 2026.
On the council’s own figures there is no camera enforcing here. That is not permission to drive in the lane: the traffic order remains in force, the sign is legally binding, and the police keep their own power to prosecute a driver who fails to comply with it.
Location, restriction and permitted vehicles are transcribed from the City of Wolverhampton Council official Bus Lane Enforcement Programme spreadsheet (published on the council’s bus-lane enforcement pages). Confirmed by City of Wolverhampton Council FOI 13474693 (response 14 August 2026).
Who can use it
- Buses
- Hackney carriages (licensed taxis)
- Private hire vehicles
- Pedal cycles
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Motorcycles
Where exactly is it?
Darlington Street, City Centre — near Red Lion Street. View on Google Maps →
Got a PCN here?
City of Wolverhampton 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 £70, reduced to £35 within 21 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 Darlington Street bus gate?
The Darlington Street Bus Gate in Wolverhampton operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is no time of day when general traffic may use it.
How much is the fine for driving through the Darlington Street bus gate?
City of Wolverhampton 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 Darlington Street bus gate?
Buses, hackney carriages (licensed taxis), private hire vehicles and pedal cycles are permitted. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries and motorcycles.
Can I appeal a PCN from the Darlington Street bus gate?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Make formal representations to City of Wolverhampton Council first — the authority that issued the PCN has to consider them before it can enforce the penalty. If City of Wolverhampton 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: City of Wolverhampton Council accepted 51% of the 6,391 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.