About this bus gate
Buses, licensed hackney carriages (taxis), private hire vehicles and pedal cycles are permitted. One of the city’s most prolific cameras.
Also permits metro (tram) and all exempt classes. Two cameras here, northbound and southbound, both enforcing since January 2016.
This is the busiest bus lane enforcement site in the city by a wide margin: 78,120 penalties over the five years to March 2026, nearly half of Wolverhampton’s total. 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?
Victoria Square, City Centre — bus gate from Lichfield Street to Berry Street (junction of Queen Street, Pipers Row and Berry Street). 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 Victoria Square bus gate?
The Victoria Square 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 Victoria Square 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 Victoria Square 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 Victoria Square 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.