Bus lane enforcement in Oxford

Why has bus lane enforcement been introduced?

Bus lane camera enforcement was introduced to Oxford city centre to:

• ease traffic congestion
• improve the reliability of journey times for buses as part of the Oxford Transport Strategy
• provide real choice of transport through the city.

In 1999, as part of the Oxford Transport Strategy, a series of bus lanes and bus gates were implemented, meaning that between certain times, only buses and taxis are permitted through. This provides priority access to local buses (including Park and Ride services), reducing journey times for bus passengers travelling into the city centre.

However, the bus lanes and gates are often subject to misuse from people in non-authorised vehicles who use them to take shortcuts. This often results in additional congestion and needless delays to the bus services that are permitted to use these routes.

We took over bus lane and bus gate enforcement duties in Oxford city from the police on 26 February 2007. For more information, take a look at our frequently asked questions page.

Where are the bus gates?

A leaflet has been produced to show where the bus gates are located. It also provides a summary of some of the other city centre access and loading restrictions:

• Oxford city centre - access and delivery arrangements - leaflet (.pdf format, 175Kb)

More detailed maps of each of the bus lane camera enforcement zones can be found below:

• Bus Lane Camera Enforcement Zone - Castle Street (.pdf format, 72Kb)
• Bus Lane Camera Enforcement Zone - High Street (.pdf format, 64Kb)
• Bus Lane Camera Enforcement Zone - Magdalen Street / George Street (.pdf format, 193Kb)

Who is allowed to drive in bus lanes and through bus gates?

Bus lanes

Only registered local buses (not private coach parties), taxis and emergency vehicles are allowed to travel in bus lanes.

Bus gates

Each of the four city centre bus gates have different restrictions: 

What happens if the camera detects me?

Motorists who contravene the regulations will be recorded by roadside cameras. If enforcement officers believe that a contravention has occurred, a penalty charge notice (PCN) will be served to the registered owner/keeper of the vehicle by post.

If I receive a penalty charge notice (PCN) how much will it cost and what can I do?

The PCN is served at the statutory charge of £60 but discounted to £30 if paid within the first 14 days, after this time the fine reverts back to its statutory charge. Upon receiving the PCN, if you would like to contest the issue of the PCN and do not think you should pay;

You have 28 days from the date of service of the PCN in which to make your representation (please note a PCN that has been paid in full is classed as closed and cannot be contested). If your representation is made and received by Oxfordshire County Council within the 14 day period, and then after further investigation is rejected in writing, the council can extend the discount period.

If however, you are not satisfied with the council’s rejection, the next stage of the PCN process means you are able to appeal to an independent adjudicator. Further information regarding the appeals process can be found on the Traffic Penalty Tribunal website.

What happens if I don’t pay?

If, after 28 days, we have not received payment or representation has not been made, a statutory document called the charge certificate will be served and the fine will increase by 50 per cent, meaning that the registered owner/keeper of the vehicle will now be legally responsible to pay £90.

If a penalty charge notice (PCN) remains unpaid 14 days after a charge certificate has been served, we can register the debt with the Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC) (Oxfordshire County Council’s TEC is Northampton County Court). Oxfordshire County Council has to pay a fee of £5 to register each PCN. Once a PCN has been registered with the TEC they send out authority to issue an ‘order for recovery of unpaid penalty charge’ (PE2). This would list the amount outstanding against the penalty charge notice.

The amount outstanding comprises of the unpaid PCN, plus the £5 registration fee. Once in receipt of the PE2 (which would also include a statutory declaration form, or PE3) the motorist has a further 21 days from receipt of the order to either pay the amount outstanding or send to the TEC a completed statutory declaration form (PE3) requesting that registration of the unpaid penalty charge notice be revoked.

However, there are only three grounds on which a statutory declaration can be made, these are:

1. The motorist did not receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN)
2. The motorist made representation to the council about the penalty charge and did not receive a rejection notice.
3. The motorist appealed to a parking adjudicator against the council’s decision to reject his or her representations, but received no response to the appeal.

A statutory declaration must be signed by the motorist in the presence of a Commissioner for Oaths, an officer of a county court appointed by a judge to take affidavits, or a justice of the peace. Filing a false declaration knowingly and wilfully is a criminal offence under Section 5 of the Perjury Act 1911 and you may be imprisoned for up to two years or fined (or both).

Where the motorist has been served with an order for recovery of unpaid penalty charge (PE2) and fails to pay or to complete a statutory declaration, the council can ask the TEC for authority to prepare a warrant of execution. This authorises a certificated bailiff after gaining entrance to the property to levy distress which entitles them to seize and sell goods belonging to the motorist to the value of the outstanding amount plus the cost of executing the warrant.

How do I pay?

All major credit cards accepted except American Express (Amex). All debit cards accepted except Visa Electron.

Online

Pay your penalty charge notice online (please note that this page uses the term ‘parking ticket’, but you can still pay your bus lane penalty charge notice here).

By telephone

Call NSL Services on 0845 337 1138. You will need to give:

• credit/debit card details
• penalty charge notice (PCN) number
• amount payable.

Lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. Credit or debit card payments only.

By post

• make your cheque or postal order payable to Oxfordshire County Council
• write the penalty charge notice (PCN) number on the back of the cheque or postal order
• complete the payment slip titled ‘Authorisation for payment by credit/debit card details’ (found on the reverse of the PCN)
• return the payment slip and cheque or postal order to Oxford PCN Processing Centre, PO Box 860, Oxford OX4 1FT, using the enclosed envelope.

This page was last updated on 06 May 2009Back to top

• Printable version
• Link to this page