A consultation into a proposed bus route residents fear will cause gridlock in their Oxford street is set for the middle of this year.

Residents and councillors will then get to officially air their views about the plans to route buses along Osler Road, Heading- ton. In October 2003, when the route was proposed, the Oxford Mail reported that a petition signed by more than 100 people was handed to Oxfordshire County Council traffic officials.

The petition was part of the ongoing Keep Osler Road Special campaign launched by Stephen Tall and David Rundle, city councillors for Headington.

Residents feared Osler Road was too narrow for buses due to parked cars, and said large vehicles would ruin the character of the street, which is part of the Old Headington Conservation Area.

Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust is behind the route, which is one of the conditions of outline planning permission for the new £20m children's hospital and the relocation of hospital services from the Radcliffe Infirmary to the John Radcliffe Hospital.

Patricia Keane, 69, of Osler Road, said: "We are very unhappy about proposals for a bus route because it is a very narrow, congested road."

She said the private Manor Hospital, which opened last year, had already increased traffic in Osler Road.

She said: "The road is congested as it is, we don't want buses down here. I hope this is sorted out for the convenience of the residents."

Mr Tall said he was planning to carry on the Keep Osler Road Special Campaign.

He said: "The study is to find out exactly what the traffic issues are around the hospitals. The bus route cannot go ahead until that study has not only started but reported what the issues are.

"We want to make sure residents get the chance to make their views known."

James Gagg, Oxfordshire County Council transport planner, said: "We are currently in stage one of the study looking at London Road's problems and issues, including bus access at Osler Road's London Road junction.

"The next stage will include further investigations and involve selecting options of how to improve the road. We expect to go out to consultation in mid 2005."