How to Avoid Paying Bus Lane Fine – Things You Can Do UK
Are you bothered by a bus lane fine and unsure what to do? This article is here to help. Every month, our website guides over 130,000 people in dealing with fines and parking tickets.
In this straightforward guide, we will explain:
- What a bus lane fine is.
- The rules of driving in a bus lane.
- How to challenge a bus lane fine if you think it’s wrong.
- The cost of bus lane fines in the UK.
- What happens when you drive in a bus lane by mistake.
In 2021, Churchill Motor Insurance reported an 8% increase in penalty charge notices (PCNs) in Britain, with over 5.2 million issued.1
Receiving a bus lane fine can be frustrating. We understand this, and we’re here to help. We have lots of handy tips and examples to guide you through the process. So, don’t panic we’ve got your back. Let’s work this out together.
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What are the rules around driving in a bus lane?
The bus lanes always have blue and white signs indicating when they are open.
However, the hours that these lanes are open might vary greatly, so it is important that you check the specific bus lane restrictions before you enter one. The periods during which only buses are permitted to operate in the lanes are referred to as the “times of operation.”
Typically, the sign will indicate both a time period and the days of the week during which certain limits for vehicles that are not buses must be adhered to.
If no timings are displayed on the sign, then the lane is in use twenty-four hours a day, and unauthorised vehicles are not permitted to use it at any time.
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Can taxis and bicycles use bus lanes?
Sometimes taxis, bicycles and motorcycles are allowed to use bus lanes, which will be shown on the bus lane sign.
However, when a sign states taxi drivers can use a bus lane, this only applies to licensed taxi drivers; private hire vehicles are not allowed (the designation of a licensed taxi varies across local councils. Some areas might refer to them as Hackney carriages).
How do you fight a bus lane camera ticket?
To contest a PCN, visit the website of the local authority that issued it, or follow the instructions on the PCN itself. If you decide to dispute the penalty, the cost of the fine will freeze until the case is resolved.
But if you wait until after 28 days to appeal your PCN, your appeal probably won’t be considered. You’ll have to pay the full amount without any early-settlement discount.
In my experience, this does vary; some local councils may still consider appeals after this period, but each case and council can differ, so it is best to submit your appeal before the 28 days are up. Here’s what a typical appeal process looks like.
| When | Action |
|---|---|
| On receiving a council PCN | Read the notice, keep it, gather evidence and note all payment and challenge deadlines. |
| Windscreen or handed-to-driver PCN | An informal challenge may be available before the Notice to Owner. Early challenge can preserve a discount under the authority’s policy; 14 days is not a universal final appeal deadline. |
| Postal PCN or Notice to Owner | Normally make formal representations within 28 days as stated on the notice. Do not assume there is an extra informal stage. |
| Representations rejected | The Notice of Rejection explains how to appeal to the appropriate independent tribunal, normally within 28 days. |
| Appeal unsuccessful | Pay by the deadline given in the decision or obtain advice on any available review. Further statutory charges can follow if you do neither. |
| Other ticket type | Private parking charges and FPNs use different procedures; follow the actual notice. |
Further guidance: Traffic Penalty Tribunal; Citizens Advice.
Here you can see that this forum user on MoneySavingExpert has received a PCN for driving in a bus lane as they did not see the sign and is looking for advice on what to do.
Check the right challenge process
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Check whether you need to make an informal challenge, formal representations or an independent tribunal appeal. Follow the route and deadline printed on your notice. London cases generally go to London Tribunals; relevant cases in England outside London and Wales go to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Other UK jurisdictions have different procedures.
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What if you drive in a bus lane by mistake?
Whether you did it on purpose or by accident, you may be subject to a penalty fine if you drove in a bus lane when it’s prohibited. This may be the case even if you did not realise you were breaking the law.
If you find yourself in a bus lane, you should make every effort to get out of there as fast and safely as possible and into an appropriate lane.
How is it detected that I drove in a bus lane?
If a camera detects a vehicle illegally driving, stopping or parking in a bus lane, it will automatically record some footage. Bus lane cameras use ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition).
When this footage is reviewed, if the traffic enforcement officers decide you’ve broken the law, they will look up your vehicle registration and send you a PCN.
How much are the fines?
The cost of a penalty charge notice for using a bus lane varies from one area to the next. For instance, a bus lane PCN in London may cost more than £100, whereas the average cost elsewhere is somewhere around £60.
However, keep in mind that if you pay the fine within the first 14 days, you will often receive a discount of at least half the amount.
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Memberships renew automatically until cancelled. Check the initial price, renewal price, billing interval and cancellation terms.
The standard service does not create a solicitor-client relationship. No successful outcome is guaranteed. JustAnswer’s membership and cancellation information.
Do you get points for this?
No, you will not get points on your driving licence for driving in a bus lane in the UK, so you do not need to worry about any impact on insurance premiums.
What do I need to do if I get a bus lane fine?
If you are found driving in a bus lane when you are not supposed to, you will receive a penalty charge notice from the local council. You are required to receive the charge from the council no later than 28 calendar days after the purported offence.
A bus lane charge must be paid within 28 days, but the amount can be reduced in half if it is paid within the first 14 days.
How long does it take for the fine to come through?
In order to issue the bus lane fine, your local council has a period of 14 days, during which they can obtain your details from the DVLA and a total of 28 days to issue you with the PCN.
However, the time limit for serving the PCN is increased to six months if the DVLA takes an excessively long time to react with the information.
When can you drive in a bus lane UK?
It is essential to remember that if the bus lane sign does not state that there are periods when you can use it, then you are not permitted to do so.
To make matters even more complicated, there are areas in which certain bus lanes are open continuously, but in other areas, you are only permitted to use them during specific periods of the day.
This is why you need to check the signage before driving in a bus lane. This is especially important when you are driving in a new area that is unfamiliar to you.
If the bus lane does not allow other vehicles generally, the following are possible exceptions to UK bus lane rules when it may be allowed; however, you could still receive a PCN:
- The route is blocked or obstructed in any way.
- In the event that there is an incoming emergency vehicle
- To avoid an accident
- To pick up or set down a passenger
If you do any of these things and end up entering a bus lane, you need to make sure that you exit the lane as soon as it is safe to do so. The way I see it, if you can possibly avoid entering a bus lane at all when it is not permitted, then you should do so.
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