Limited access roads in Southampton
Since Monday 28 April 2025, East Park Terrace has been added to the list of current roads within Southampton City that have restricted access to vehicles (moving traffic areas). This updated list is now:
- New Road - SO14 0YN
- Northam Road A3024 - SO14 0QH
- Portland Terrace - SO15 1QD
- Shirley Road - SO15 3HR
- Violet Road
- Vincents Walk - SO14 7GW
- Castle Way
- People who drive through the restriction at East Park Terrace will receive a Warning Notice, and on their second contravention they will receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) of £70 (reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days)
Warning letters and PCN’s will be sent through the post to the registered keeper of the vehicle. To allow enough time between a Warning Notice being processed and received by the driver, there will be a period of approximately two weeks after a Warning Notice is activated and a PCN is issued.
Other listed roads - As the other roads have had the restrictions in place for some time, these roads continue to be enforced as normal. If a vehicle is captured breaking the regulations, then a PCN will be issued.
Accessing roads in a moving traffic area, including bus lanes and bus gates
Certain vehicles can apply for an exemption to access these areas using our online form. These are:
- Taxis
- Buses
- Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) (to access Vincents Walk only)
School Streets with a bus only street or bus gate restrictions
What are School Streets?
School Streets are roads outside of a school that are restricted to traffic during peak school travel hours. This is to improve safety for the children, their families, and the local community. Reducing traffic at drop-off and pick up times reduces the risk of collisions, improves air quality, and creates a more welcoming environment for people to walk, cycle, and wheel in.
Most of Southampton’s School Streets operate under a pedestrian and cycle zone only restriction. However, School Streets with a bus service are best suited to operating under a bus only street or bus gate restriction. There are two School Streets in Southampton operating under this type of restriction:
- Violet Road
- Honeysuckle Road – SO16 3BZ
How and when is traffic restricted?
Traffic is restricted during the operational timings from 8-9.30am and 2.15-3.45pm. Local buses and cycles are permitted to transit through the School Street with an allowance for authorised vehicles such as emergency services. Other vehicles permitted to enter the School Street include:
- Those of residents living within the School Street area, a maximum of two vehicles per property
- Those of businesses operating within the School Street area, a maximum of two vehicles per property
- Those of Blue Badge holders requiring access to a property within the School Street
- Those of medical practitioners, district nurses, carers, and support workers attending to someone at an address within the School Street
- School transport vehicles (including taxis and private hire vehicles) requiring access to a school within the School Street, to drop off passengers
- School service vehicles (applications must be made by the school)
- Authorised school staff (applications must be made by the school)
I have a permitted vehicle - how do I apply for access?
If you drive a permitted vehicle, please fill out an application using the online form below. Include sufficient evidence to ensure that we can process your application.
Taxis and private hire vehicles are permitted to enter School Streets with a bus only or bus gate restriction. However, drivers of these vehicles should not enter the School Street in a taxi or private hire vehicle to drop off their own children, or for other personal use.
Request access to a moving traffic area
Before you fill in this form
You won't be able to save this form to complete later, so please allow yourself at least a couple of minutes to fill in the form.
Before you apply, you will need:
Vehicle registration number, if applying for a specific vehicle- List of vehicle registration numbers, if applying for multiple buses or HGVs
Copy of the vehicle V5C logbook, showing the address the vehicle is registered to and the vehicle registration number, if a resident of Violet Road
Copy of taxi vehicle licence, showing the vehicle registration number and the expiry date, if applying as a taxi
What happens next
We will review your application and contact you within 10 working days.
Taxis not licensed by Southampton City Council
Please be aware that hackney carriage and private hire vehicles not licensed by Southampton City Council will only have access to the listed roads and bus lanes Monday to Friday between 7-9.30am and 4-6pm. Outside of these times, you will not be allowed to use the bus lanes.
The vehicle must also be registered on or after 1 September 2015 (for diesel vehicles) or, on or after 1 January 2006 (for petrol vehicles).
