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Find out about changes to our services and Christmas opening times on our Festive information page. To find out when your bin will be collected over the festive period, visit Changes to County Durham bin collections at Christmas.

Due to maintenance, the following systems will be unavailable from 11.45am on Tuesday 24 December until 8.00am on Thursday 2 January: our online Council Tax, business rates and housing benefit services, and our welfare assistance form. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Due to an IT issue, the Parking Shop cannot currently take card payments. You can pay online using the link below, or call the automated telephone line on 0330 088 4785 or pay with cash, cheque or postal order at The Parking Shop, Suite 1, Forster House, Forster Business Centre, Finchale Road, Durham, DH1 5HL.

Challenge a bus lane fine


What you need to do to challenge a bus lane fine.

You can challenge or pay your bus lane fine online or by post to Parking Services, PO Box 568, Durham, DH1 9GP.

Any photographic evidence we have will be available.

The registered owner/keeper of the vehicle (or the person who has hired it) is responsible for paying the fine, regardless of whether they were the driver at the time.

Challenging a bus lane fine / Penalty Charge Notice is called 'making a representation'. Challenges:

  • can contain any mitigating circumstances
  • should include any evidence that may support your case
  • are considered on their individual merits

Mitigating circumstances

We may consider mitigating circumstances, but the following reasons will not normally be accepted:

  • you were turning left at a junction
  • you were following a sat nav that directed you into the bus lane
  • there were no buses in the bus lane at the time
  • you were only in the lane for a short time
  • you were lost
  • you did not see the signs

Letting you know the result

Decisions are normally made within 56 days. You will be informed if the fine has been cancelled.

If a challenge is received within 21 days of the PCN being issued, and is rejected, the 50% payment rate period may be reset. If it is received later than 21 days, the reduced rate is unlikely to be reset.

What happens if you don't pay

If you don't pay your bus lane fine, and haven't successfully challenged the PCN, we can go through a series of processes to get the money from you. Find out more information about What happens if you don't pay your bus lane fine.



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