I accidentally drifted into the bus lane for about 10 seconds while turning near Piccadilly Circus last week. There were cameras everywhere and I'm paranoid about getting a penalty charge notice. How strict are they with bus lane violations in London?
I'd verify this directly with TfL or check your mail before stressing too much - a 10-second drift during a turn isn't usually what they're targeting, and they typically give some leeway for unavoidable lane changes.
Bus lane fines in London are usually around £130 (reduced to £65 if you pay within 14 days), but they're generally stricter about sustained blocking rather than brief incursions, especially near complex junctions like Piccadilly where turning is unavoidable.
If you haven't received a penalty charge notice by now in mid-July 2026, you're probably in the clear, since they usually issue them within a couple of weeks. That said, check your registered keeper details are correct with DVLA just in case something gets lost in the system.
I'd do what that person suggested - check TfL's official guidance rather than guessing, since enforcement thresholds vary by camera type and location. A brief drift during a turn is generally different from parking or lingering in the lane, so unless you get a notice in the mail over the next couple weeks, you're probably fine.
As mentioned above, TfL's pretty reasonable about enforcement and a quick 10-second drift while actively turning isn't usually what they're cracking down on 😅 The penalty's typically £130 (reduced to £65 if you pay within 14 days), but honestly your best move is just check your email and postbox over the next couple weeks - if nothing shows up after that, you're golden! The cameras are mostly there to catch people deliberately camping in bus lanes during rush hour, not catching people mid-maneuver, so I wouldn't stress too hard about it.
You're probably fine, but the real pitfall nobody's mentioned is that TfL's camera system sometimes flags these situations automatically and you might not hear about it for weeks or even months - so don't assume you're clear just because nothing arrived immediately.
The 10 seconds during an actual turn is genuinely the kind of thing they don't usually pursue, especially if traffic was heavy and you were clearly executing a maneuver rather than parking or idling. The £130 fine exists, but enforcement tends to focus on people deliberately using the lane or blocking it for extended periods.
Keep an eye on your mail for the next couple of months just to be safe, but I wouldn't lose sleep over this one.
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