Bus lanes on Lordship Lane, Grove Vale, East Dulwich Road and Champion Park would be enforced around the clock, with a £160 fine. Objections close 5 November.

Bus lanes on Lordship Lane, Grove Vale, East Dulwich Road and Champion Park would be enforced 24 hours a day, seven days a week, under plans Southwark Council published on Thursday. Most of them now run from 7am to 7pm. Drive in one in the evening, overnight or on a Sunday once the change is made, and you risk a £160 penalty.

The council is taking comments and objections until 5 November 2026. Its notice of proposals, dated 15 October and reference TMO2627-013 Bus Lanes, covers 30 bus lanes across the borough. For 18 of them the change is to the hours. For the rest it is paperwork, bringing the legal schedule into line with the signs on the street.

Which lanes in this area change

These are the lanes in and around Dulwich, Peckham and Camberwell that would switch to “at any time”. The locations and wards are from the council’s statement of reasons. The current hours are from the December 2025 report that set the policy.

Bus lane Ward Hours now Proposed
Lordship Lane, south-east of Overhill Road (94m) Dulwich Wood 7am to 7pm, every day At any time
Lordship Lane, from Nos. 430 and 432 (280m) Dulwich Hill Not listed in the December report At any time
East Dulwich Road, Fenwick Road to Gowlett Road Rye Lane 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday At any time
Grove Vale, south-east from Nos. 99 and 101 (74m) Goose Green 7am to 7pm, every day At any time
Champion Park, two lanes towards Denmark Hill Champion Hill 7am to 7pm, every day At any time
Denmark Hill, south of Orpheus Street (41m) Camberwell Green 7am to 7pm, every day At any time
Camberwell Road, four lanes Camberwell Green 7am to 7pm, every day (three listed) At any time

The East Dulwich Road lane is the biggest change for drivers. It is the only one on this list that is not enforced on Sundays at the moment.

Dog Kennel Hill’s bus lanes are not in the order. The December report lists both as already running 24 hours, as is the lane on Crystal Palace Parade.

Sydenham Hill is the odd one out. The notice lists its short north-westbound lane by Parfew Court among the lanes going to “at any time”, then lists it again as operating Monday to Friday, 7am to 10am and 4pm to 7pm. The statement of reasons says the change there is to match the signs already on site, at those peak hours. If you use that lane, ask the council which it is when you respond.

Why the council is doing it

Southwark decided the policy on 17 December 2025. The decision was taken by the Cabinet Member for Clean Air, Streets and Waste, and the decision record approves changing the bus lanes to “24 hours seven days a week to reduce bus delays and increase timetable adherence”.

The report gives three reasons:

  • The borough’s bus lane orders were drawn up one at a time, so the lanes “operate at different times and different days of the week depending on when the traffic management orders were drawn up”.
  • TfL made 24-hour bus lanes permanent on its own roads after a trial on 85km of its network. The report says bus journey times fell and reliability improved, “particularly in central and inner London, during the mornings, evenings, and on Sundays”.
  • It expects no negative impact on residents or businesses. It says loading and unloading will still be allowed in the lanes, and that black cabs can still use them and pick up and drop off.

It also says the change is expected to be “cost-neutral” on current parking revenue projections, and that any surplus is ring-fenced to parking and related services.

The statement of reasons adds that most of the affected lanes will formally carry the existing exemptions for cycles and taxis.

What it means for you

  • If you drive, the 7pm finish is going on these roads. On Lordship Lane, Grove Vale and Champion Park the lane would be bus-only all evening and overnight. On East Dulwich Road it would be bus-only on Sundays too.
  • The penalty is £160. That is Southwark’s charge for a bus lane contravention since 7 April 2025, according to the council’s London Gazette notice.
  • If you cycle or take a black cab, nothing changes: both can use the lanes.
  • If you take the bus, the council’s case is that buses on these roads will be quicker and more reliable in the evenings, overnight and, on East Dulwich Road, on Sundays.
  • Deliveries can still load and unload in the lanes, according to the December report.

The council’s consultation portal gives 4 January 2027 as the planned start date. The order cannot be made until the council has considered the responses.

How to comment or object

Comments for or against are accepted until 5 November 2026. You can:

  • use the council’s consultation portal, where the plans and maps for each lane are posted
  • email traffic.orders@southwark.gov.uk
  • write to Traffic Order Consultations, Highways, Southwark Council Environment, Sustainability and Leisure, PO Box 64529, London SE1P 5LX

Quote TMO2627-013 Bus Lanes. If you are objecting, you must give the grounds for your objection, or it may not be considered. The council warns that responses may be published or disclosed.

For more on driving and parking locally, see our Dulwich roadworks and travel page and our guide to parking in Dulwich.

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