Passing your test is a brilliant milestone, but Nottingham has a local quirk that catches out new drivers more than most: bus gates. Here’s what they are, where to find them, and how to avoid an unwanted penalty charge notice (PCN) in your first few months on the road.
What is a bus gate?
A bus gate is a stretch of road where only buses, taxis, cyclists and sometimes emergency vehicles may pass — general traffic is banned, usually enforced by road markings and signs rather than a physical barrier. A camera reads every passing number plate, and if you’re not exempt, a fine follows automatically by post. There’s no gate to stop you and no warning beep at the time.
Where are they in Nottingham?
Nottingham has run bus gates for several years, including a well-known one on Canal Street (in place since September 2020, near the old Broadmarsh site) and another on Shakespeare Street. The city has also been expanding camera enforcement of “moving traffic” rules — such as banned turns and box junctions — using the same automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology. Two of the newest cameras went live on Shakespeare Street and Victoria Embankment in February 2025, with further locations, including junctions on Maid Marian Way and Arkwright Street, planned as part of a wider council investment in camera enforcement.
How much is the fine?
- The standard penalty is £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days.
- For newly installed cameras, the council typically sends a warning letter rather than a fine for a first offence during the camera’s first six months of operation — but long-established bus gates don’t offer this grace period, so treat every bus gate sign seriously from day one.
For scale, reporting from 2023 found the Canal Street camera alone had issued over 53,000 penalty notices since opening, worth around £1.6 million — though the council also noted that monthly fine numbers had been falling as drivers learned the route.
How to avoid getting caught out
- Watch for “buses and cycles only” or “no motor vehicles” signs, especially around Broadmarsh, Shakespeare Street and Maid Marian Way.
- Let your satnav route you — most modern apps know Nottingham’s bus gates and route around them, though it’s worth staying alert near roadworks or new schemes.
- If you get a penalty notice and think it was wrong, you can appeal through Nottingham City Council — first offences at brand-new cameras are often waived if you genuinely weren’t warned.
The good news is that once you know where they are, Nottingham’s bus gates are easy to avoid. A little local knowledge in your first few weeks of driving goes a long way.