BUS stop bays in Frideswide Square have been made too short and narrow for the city’s buses to pull out safely, the Oxford Mail can reveal.

It is understood that bus companies fear the restriction in size will hamper their drivers.

Martin Crabtree, a spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council, said: “The bus bays are long enough, as designed, to accommodate two buses.

“We have been working with the bus companies to discuss the operation of the bus bays and comments they have raised regarding pulling out.

“Work on the square is not yet complete and we are confident that we can address the concerns by working together with the bus companies. No further work on the bays is proposed at this stage.”

Amanda Suliman-Bell, owner of Rainbow and Spoon in Frideswide Square, said she was not entirely surprised by the concerns raised by bus companies.

York stone paving slabs have been laid outside Ms Suliman-Bell’s shop and a new “boulevard” created linking new roundabouts, which transport bosses originally hoped would improve traffic flow.

She said: “Although I’m appalled that they’ve somehow managed to make bus lanes the wrong size, I can’t say I’m completely surprised.

“I suspected something like this was going to happen after looking out of my shop window in the week and seeing a group of road workers stood looking at a bus and scratching their heads because it could barely fit in the bay.”

Ms Suliman-Bell added she had been informed by the council the bays would be opening next week, just in time for Christmas shopping in the city centre.

She said: “I might be wrong, but this sounds as if Frideswide Square is going to end up being even worse for traffic than it is right now, which I didn’t think was humanly possible.

“How on earth are people going to get around over the Christmas period if the bus bays don’t work properly? It’s going to be a nightmare for the bus companies.”

Phil Southall, managing director of Oxford Bus Company, said it would be working with Stagecoach and the council to ensure the stops in the new-look Frideswide Square are fit for purpose.

He said: “We’ve identified a number of changes that need to be made and we will continue to help the council implement these.”

Work on the £5.8m redevelopment began in February 2015, and was originally intended to be completed this December.

Thousands of motorists drive through the junction at the end of Botley Road every day and the square includes the entrance to the rail station. When the work is finished all the existing traffic lights will be removed.

Council cabinet member for transport, David Nimmo Smith, said: “If you’re building bus bays, you’d think that it would be the most basic and obvious thing to make them the right size.

“I do wonder how it’s possible to get that kind of thing wrong and I hope it doesn’t spell disaster for the city centre.”