Did this overtaking bus get too close to cyclist?

A cyclist who was overtaken by a bus on one of Oxford’s busiest streets said the driver was ‘close and impatient’.

Christopher Benton said there would have been a collision if his bike was a few metres further forward when he was passed by the Oxford Bus Company vehicle on High Street just before Magdalen Bridge at 2.19pm on Monday, May 15.

The bus company admitted the incident ‘fell slightly below our usual high standards’.

The overtake occurred as Mr Benton was cycling a bike for Pedal & Post, an eco-courier service of which he is managing director.

The service was set up in 2013 and has 21 riders.

He told the Oxford Mail: “The bus has just overtaken me and there’s another bus coming and they can’t pass each other on that section without merging over the lane and this is why we refer to it as paint and no protection.

“On average each one of our team will expect about 10 minor incidents a day.

“Oxford buses actually do very well and their training is very good. A lot of bus drivers are very understanding and are on the same page about the design of Oxford’s streets needing to change.”

An Oxford Bus Company spokesman said: “We are aware of the video footage and have requested further details from the cyclist so we can hold an internal investigation. Our drivers take the utmost care when transporting our passengers and on this rare occasion it would appear it fell slightly below our usual high standards. We apologise for any distress caused.”