The little-known driving mistake that could land you with a £160 fine – one council has raked in £1million in a year

A COMMON driving mistake could land you a huge £160 fine, but many drivers still don’t know about it. You can get hit with a fine if you drive through a bus gate – which is different to a bus lane. Bus gates are stretches of road that are only open to buses, black cabs and bikes. They’re usually marked with ‘no motor vehicles’ signs (a red circle with a picture of a motorbike above a car) or a ‘buses only’ sign (a blue circle with a picture of a bus, bike and taxi). Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! Meanwhile a bus lane is marked by a solid thick white line and the words ‘bus lane’ on the road. Driving through a bus gate usually lands you with a fine worth £70, although it’s reduced to £35 if you pay within 21 days. If it’s still unpaid after 28 days, it rises to £90 or £105 depending on your local council. In London, the penalty is higher at a whopping £160. It reduces to £80 if paid within 14 days. Councils say bus gates are intended to improve traffic and provide a time-saving shortcut for public transport. Most read in Money But drivers have complained about confusing and unclear signage, and some are caught out because bus gates aren’t always picked up by Google Maps. Numerous Reddit threads have popped up with drivers saying they’ve been left confused by the road signs. “Who came up with this gate idea? When we’re used to seeing Bus Lane or Bus Only,” one person wrote. “Seeing Bus Gate does not register with the normal national signage.” Another said: “The issue I have with some of them is that by the time you see the signage, however clear, you’re sort-of committed unless you wanna stop and pop a 3-pointer. That isn’t always a sensible move. “They’re often put in places where you’ll struggle to back-out once you’ve seen the sign.” Some councils have raked in huge amounts through bus gate fines. Cambridge City Council issued a huge £1million worth of fines to drivers using the Mill Road bridge bus gate in just a year. The measure was introduced in March 2025 and banned vehicles except for buses, emergency services, taxis and blue badge holders’ registered vehicles. A Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service found 15,483 fines had been issued as of April 29 this year. A huge 4,677 fines were issued to drivers in the first seven weeks. Meanwhile, Southampton City Council pulled in £34,870 from bus gate fines in the first four months of 2025. More 16,000 drivers were issued fines at the Portland Terrace bus gate – a huge 1,605 penalty notices a day. How can I appeal against a driving fine? WHETHER you drove into a bus gate or got yourself a parking ticket, you can appeal your fine. A fine may be deemed unfair by the council or an independent adjudicator if: Signs were wrong – If the signs weren’t visible or gave the wrong information The traffic warden got it wrong – for example if a parking attendant thinks you stayed too long when you were in fact within the time limit An error on the letter or ticket- if they’ve left out any information on the ‘Notice to Owner’ letter, then you could get it waived You didn’t own the vehicle at the time – you’ll have to prove this, such as information you provided to the DVLA Your car was stolen – if a thief parked the car illegally then you can get it waived There was no way to pay – if a parking meter or machine was broken and there was no other way to pay Your car broke down – if you were given a ticket while waiting for your car to be fixed or towed away You couldn’t get back to your car – you should appeal your ticket if you couldn’t get back to your car because it’s difficult for you to walk because you’re disabled, you’re pregnant or you have a very young baby To submit an appeal, you’ll need to make a challenge in writing to the council or authority within 28 days. Include your PCN number, vehicle registration, and supporting evidence like photos or video footage. Comment now