What a bus gate is, where the bus gates are in east Bristol, exemptions and how to apply, and how to make sure you don't get a fine for using them by mistake.

What a bus gate is

A bus gate is a short section of road which only buses and authorised vehicles can use. All Bristol's bus gates are in use 24-hours a day, seven days a week. CCTV cameras operate to make sure drivers obey bus gate restrictions.

What the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood (EBLN) bus gates look like

The bus gates have the words ‘bus gate' marked on the road at the entrance to them. They also have a section of red road surface.

Only buses, authorised vehicles, and vehicles with an approved exemption can travel through the EBLN bus gates.  

East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood bus gate sign example

East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood bus gate locations

There are 3 bus gates in the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial area:

• Avonvale Road (between Beam Street and Marsh Lane)
• Marsh Lane (between Barton Court and Glendare Street)
• Pilemarsh (between Avonvale Road and Netham Road)

Who can drive through the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood bus gates

These road users can travel through the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood bus gates:

• Buses
• Emergency vehicles
• Bicycles
• Solo motorcycles
• Taxis
• Residents of the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood area whose vehicle has a disabled tax class. Apply below for this exemption.
• Professional carers who work in homes of people who live within the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood area. Apply below for this exemption.
• Residents of the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood area who have a Blue Badge registered to their address can nominate one vehicle for an exemption. Apply below for this exemption.
• Residents of the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood area who are on a low income, who meet the eligibility criteria and need to drive to work, and your most direct route is via an EBLN bus gate.    This is a 12 month exemption and cannot be renewed. Apply below for this exemption.
• Parents or carers who live within the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood area who receive a personal travel budget for their child with SEND. We'll contact eligible residents. If you think you may be eligible and we haven't contacted you, email liveableneighbourhoods@bristol.gov.uk
• Residents and businesses on 14 eligible roads with the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood area, whose vehicle or vehicles are registered to their address, are eligible for an exemption to the Pile Marsh bus gate only. We are writing to eligible properties. You'll need to apply below for this exemption.  The eligible streets within the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood are: 
  • Avon Park (Netham Gardens only) 
  • Barnes Street 
  • Blackswarth Road 
  • Claremont Terrace 
  • Crews Hole Road (Riverside Nursing Home only) 
  • Derby Street 
  • Gladstone Street 
  • Grindell Road 
  • Lewin Street 
  • Netham Road (Northern section only) 
  • Pile Marsh 
  • St Patrick's View 
  • Terrell Gardens 
  • Weavers Mill Close 

Exemption applications

You may be able to apply for an East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood bus gate exemption.

The East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood bus gates are managed by cameras with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR).

If your exemption application is successful, your vehicle will be given a digital exemption. You won't need to display anything in the vehicle.

Exemptions are valid for one year from the date of your application.  You'll need to reapply every year.

Apply online for these exemptions:

• Disabled Tax Class 
• Professional Carers 
• Blue Badge holders
• Low Income 
• Pile Marsh bus gate exemption 

Apply for Disabled Tax Class, Professional Carers or Blue Badge Bus Gate Exemption      

Apply for Low Income Bus Gate Exemption       

Apply for Pile Marsh Bus Gate Exemption

pdf East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhoods Bus Gate Exemptions Terms and Conditions(408 KB)

Fines

You could be fined if you do not obey the signs at bus gates.

Find out more and pay your fine

Body worn cameras (BWCs) will be used by our Civil Enforcement Team whose officers deal with parking enforcement.

They will

• serve as a deterrent to acts of aggression or verbal and physical abuse
• assist the police in any investigation of aggression or verbal and physical abuse
• help to protect officers at work
• allow the officer to maintain the use of their hands and enforcement equipment whilst recording an incident

Who will be using them

Civil Enforcement Officers will have received training in the use of BWCs, including:

• practical use of equipment
• on-street operational guidance i.e. when to begin and end recording
• legal implications of using such equipment

When they will be activated

The BWCs will be used in an overt manner. Before recording, officers will give a clear verbal instruction that recording is about to take place (unless in an emergency situation). The officer doesn't need to get consent before filming.
Civil Enforcement Officers will activate the camera when they:

• have an engagement with a member of the public which, in the opinion of the officer, is confrontational and where they believe that they may be subject to physical or verbal abuse.
• encounter a situation in which they are approached by a member of the public in a manner perceived as aggressive or threatening.

Further information

What a bus gate is, where they are, and how to make sure you don't get a fine for using them by mistake.

What a bus gate is

A bus gate is a short section of road which only buses and authorised vehicles can use.All Bristol's bus gates are in use 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

CCTV cameras operate to make sure drivers obey bus gate restrictions.

How a bus lane is different from a bus gate

A bus lane is marked by a solid thick white line and the words ‘bus lane' marked periodically on the road.

Only buses and authorised vehicles can use a bus lane.

What bus gate warning signs look like

Bus gates have the words ‘bus gate' marked on the road at the entrance to the bus gate. Some bus gates also have a section of red road surface.

Only buses and authorised vehicles can use a bus gate.

Who can drive through bus gates

These road users can travel through bus gates:

• buses
• emergency vehicles
• bicycles

Bus gate locations and exemptions

There are exemptions with some bus gates allowing motorcycles, private hire vehicles or taxis, HGVs and other vehicles to travel through.

East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood bus gates

There are three  24-hour bus gates as part of the East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood trial scheme. The bus gates are on:

• Avonvale Road
• Marsh Lane
• Pilemarsh

See  East Bristol Liveable Neighbourhood bus gates for information about the bus gates and exemptions.

Fines

You could be fined if you do not obey the signs at bus gates.

Find out more and pay your fine

Our commitment to improving road safety.

Motorists who contravene driving restrictions create potential dangers to both pedestrians and other road users.

In November 2022, Bristol City Council consulted with the public on 6 sites in the city that were identified for new Moving Traffic Enforcement (MTE) powers, where there were known, persistent historical contraventions.

This consultation formed part of our application to Government under Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004.

In July 2023, we were granted the new MTE powers by Government. 

This will allow us to enforce moving traffic restrictions in a more robust manner at the sites listed below from 17 March 2025.

A pdf Notice of Civil Enforcement of Moving Traffic Contraventions and Penalty Charges(137 KB) , which details the powers, was published on 10 February 2025.

Sites subject to full enforcement

Sites added on February 23 2026

We cannot issue a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) for a first MTE contravention in the first 6 months. Instead, we can only send a warning letter. However, if anyone breaks the rule twice in that time, we can give them a PCN.

What to do if you’ve received a PCN as a result of an MTE contravention

Pay a PCN:

Pay your parking, moving traffic or bus lane PCN

Appeal a PCN:

Appeal a parking, moving traffic or bus lane PCN