A driving expert has shared a time when motorists should be driving in a bus lane, whatever vehicle they are in. Strict rules usually mean driving anything other than an authorised vehicle in a bus lane can lead to a hefty fine, but there is one exception.
Bus lane fines on the rise
Figures from a Cinch Freedom of Information request to England's 38 largest local authorities showed 3,021,688 bus lane Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) were issued between January 2023 and December 2025, generating £103,811,873 in revenue. That's roughly 2,760 fines every day, or one bus lane penalty issued every 30 seconds.
Expert advice on when to use bus lanes
Driving instructor Annie Winterburn, an Official Register of Driving Instructor Training trainer, regularly shares advice on social media. In a TikTok post, she shared a picture of a bus lane sign and asked if people should be driving in it.
She said: "It's Sunday at 3pm so this is a withflow bus lane sign, you know that because there's no arrows on the sign, but it's a bus lane only Monday to Friday, not Saturday, not Sunday, and in fact it's only a bus lane at 4pm until 7pm on Monday to Friday."
"That means at other times it's not a lane only for buses and we should be driving in that lane. In fact, if you're not driving in lane one, that means you're staying in lane two. You're staying in the overtaking lane, which is what you shouldn't be doing, you should drive in lane one unless you're overtaking."
She explained that the sign's days and times indicate when it's a bus lane. "If there were no sign telling you days and times, that would mean it would be a bus lane all the time. You could never drive in it. But the days and times are telling you when it's a bus lane. Other times, we should be driving in it."
RAC advice on bus lane rules
The RAC also had advice for motorists. It explained: "Bus lanes are clearly marked by dashed white lines or a solid white line. The solid white lines mark out the edge of the bus lane and should not be crossed while it’s in operation. The dashed white lines signify the beginning and end of the lanes, as well as points where it’s acceptable for vehicles to cross into it – for example to reach a loading bay or to turn left. They will also have the words ‘bus lane’ frequently marked along the road."
It added: "If you’re driving outside a bus lane’s operational hours, then you can use it as long as it’s safe to do so. This will help ease traffic congestion, freeing up another lane for other vehicles."
Be aware that not using a bus lane when it’s safe to do so during your driving test could result in a marking down, so it's worth being aware of when they aren't in operation. The bus lane’s blue sign will also show which other road users are permitted to use it.
