Contraflow bus lane sign: what it means
The contraflow bus lane sign means that on the road ahead buses travel towards you, against the flow of other traffic, in a lane of their own. The upward arrows show how many lanes you have.
What does the contraflow bus lane sign mean?
Know your traffic signs describes it as a contraflow bus lane, where the upward arrows indicate the number of traffic lanes available.
Quick quiz
What does the sign at the top of this page mean?
- Buses come towards you in their own lane.
- A lane for buses, and any vehicles shown.
- The road you turn into has a bus lane.
Show answer
A. Buses come towards you in their own lane. A contraflow bus lane: buses travel against the flow, and the arrows show the lanes for you (Know your traffic signs). Source: Know your traffic signs: bus and cycle signs and road markings, GOV.UK; The Highway Code, rule 141, GOV.UK; Traffic sign images, Department for Transport, GOV.UK
Where will you see it?
In towns and cities, where buses are allowed to travel against the flow of other traffic.
What should you do?
Stay in the lanes the arrows show and never enter the bus lane. Take care when turning into or out of the road: buses may come from a direction you do not expect.
What do people get wrong?
Looking only one way when turning into a one-way street with a contraflow bus lane. Buses may be coming against the flow.
Common questions
What do the arrows on the contraflow bus lane sign mean?
The upward arrows show how many traffic lanes are available to you (Know your traffic signs).
Can cycles use a contraflow bus lane?
Only where the sign shows a cycle symbol.
Compare with
Bus lane signA lane for buses, and any vehicles shown.
Bus lane on road at junction ahead signThe road you turn into has a bus lane.
Want to test someone else? Play a road-sign quiz with friends and family.
Sources
Checked on 3 November 2026 against Know your traffic signs (bus and cycle signs and road markings) and The Highway Code rule 141.
- Know your traffic signs: bus and cycle signs and road markings, GOV.UK
- The Highway Code, rule 141, GOV.UK
- Traffic sign images, Department for Transport, GOV.UK
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Traffic sign images are Crown copyright, from the Department for Transport. Sources and image credits.