PCN code 47: stopped on a restricted bus stop or stand
Code 47 is about stopping, not parking. On a bus stop clearway, a private car must not stop during the hours shown, even for a few seconds to let someone out. Only buses and a short list of other exceptions are allowed. Councils can enforce this with cameras, so the PCN may arrive in the post.
What code 47 means
47: Stopped on a restricted bus stop or stand
Standard wording as published in council code lists: Knowsley Council and Wandsworth Council. Some councils use slightly different wording or add a letter suffix to the code.
A bus stop clearway is the yellow box marking at a stop, often with the words BUS STOP or BUS STAND, used with an upright sign showing a "no stopping" symbol and any hours. Schedule 7 Part 6 of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 says that a person driving a vehicle must not stop within the clearway, at any time if the sign shows no hours, or during the hours shown. Part 7 adds that the marking must not be placed except with the upright sign.
Councils may enforce bus stop clearways with approved cameras and send the PCN by post (SI 2022/71 reg 11).
How much it costs
| Where | Penalty | If paid within the discount period |
|---|---|---|
| England outside London (council's band 1 or band 2) | £60 or £70 | £30 or £35 |
| London (band A or band B, from 7 April 2025) | £160 or £140 | £80 or £70 |
This is a higher level code. Outside London the bands are set by Schedule 3 to SI 2022/71; London levels are set for all boroughs together. If a charge certificate is issued, the penalty goes up by 50%. The amount printed on your PCN is the one that applies to you: if it does not match the published level for your area, that is itself a ground for representations.
The exceptions
The 2016 Regulations list the vehicles and situations where stopping is allowed. They include:
- buses, while keeping to a timetable, letting passengers on or off, or changing crew;
- taxis, for as long as reasonably necessary for a passenger to get in or out and load or unload luggage (not on red routes);
- marked Royal Mail (universal service) vehicles collecting post;
- emergency services and certain public bodies;
- a vehicle stopped by a police officer or traffic warden, or prevented from moving by circumstances beyond the driver's control, or stopping to avoid injury or damage;
- vehicles used for building, road or utility works that cannot be done without stopping there.
Private cars and private hire vehicles dropping off passengers are not in the list.
Situations where code 47 is issued
- A driver stopped briefly to drop off or pick up a passenger.
- A private hire vehicle (not a licensed taxi) stopped for a passenger.
- A car pulled into the stop to let an emergency vehicle pass.
- A car stopped in traffic and was partly over the clearway marking.
Grounds and evidence that fit code 47
- The contravention did not occur: an exception applied, the time was outside the hours on the sign, there was no upright sign, or the vehicle was not within the marking.
- Evidence: the camera footage or still images (you can ask to see them free of charge); photos of the upright sign and its hours, or its absence; taxi licence details if relevant; dashcam footage showing why the vehicle stopped.
Common pitfalls
"I was only there for a few seconds" does not help: the rule is about stopping at all. Make sure your evidence fits an exception. Note that the 21-day discount period applies to a camera PCN sent by post, not 14 days, and the formal stage starts with the PCN itself.
Deadlines for this PCN
This code can arrive in two ways, and the deadlines differ. Where cameras are allowed for this restriction (SI 2022/71 reg 11), the council can send the PCN by post, normally within 28 days of the contravention. Post is treated as served on the second working day after posting (reg 3).
| Stage | PCN on the windscreen | PCN by post from a camera |
|---|---|---|
| Discounted payment | 14 days from service | 21 days from service |
| Challenge | Informal challenge first; formal representations within 28 days of the Notice to Owner | No informal stage: formal representations within 28 days of the PCN |
| Camera evidence | Ask for the officer's photos | You can ask to view the recording, or for still images, free of charge (SI 2022/576 reg 3) |
| Council's decision | 56 days from receiving representations, or treated as accepted (reg 6) | |
| Tribunal appeal | 28 days from service of the Notice of Rejection (reg 7) | |
The dates printed on your own notices set your deadlines; where the count is in doubt, work to the earlier date. Our stage-by-stage guide to council PCNs explains each stage, and the one-page PCN deadlines checklist has space to write your own dates.
Questions people ask about code 47
- Can I stop at a bus stop to drop someone off?
- Not on a bus stop clearway during its hours in a private car or private hire vehicle. Licensed taxis have an exception for passengers getting in or out, except on red routes.
- Can councils use cameras to enforce bus stops?
- Yes. Regulation 11 of SI 2022/71 allows camera enforcement of bus stop clearways, and the PCN is then sent by post.
- What if there is no sign at the bus stop?
- The Traffic Signs Regulations require the clearway marking to be used with an upright sign. Photograph the stop and the surrounding area, with the date, if no sign is present.
- How do I see the camera footage?
- Ask the council in writing. For a camera PCN, you can ask to view the recording or receive still images free of charge (SI 2022/576 reg 3).
Related codes: Code 48: school keep clear · Code 99: crossing zig-zags · Code 34: bus lane · All contravention codes
Last checked 23 October 2026. Sources: Knowsley Council, Standard PCN codes: on-street; Wandsworth Council, PCN contravention codes (London levels); Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016, Schedule 7; SI 2022/71 reg 11 (where cameras may be used for parking); SI 2022/576 reg 3 (right to see camera evidence); SI 2022/71 Schedule 3 (penalty bands outside London); Wandsworth Council, London-wide penalty charge changes from 7 April 2025; SI 2022/71 (General Provisions Regulations 2022); SI 2022/576 reg 5 (grounds for representations); Traffic Penalty Tribunal; London Tribunals. General information about council enforcement in England, not legal advice about your ticket. Wales has its own regulations; Scotland and Northern Ireland have different systems.