According to the nursery rhyme, the wheels on the bus go round and round - but Oxford's Number 10 and 10A Buses seem to be going round in circles.

On Sunday, Stagecoach introduced major changes to the 10/10A city circle bus route, which links the city centre with the John Radcliffe Hospital (JR), Headington, Wood Farm and Cowley.

Blaming roadworks, congestion and driver shortages for the unreliability of the existing service, Stagecoach bosses decided to split the city circle into two sections.

But nobody could have predicted the chaos the changes would cause.

On Monday, the Stagecoach switchboard was swamped with more than 100 calls about the route changes - and that was before 10.30am.

The operator told irate callers: "I am confused about it all. I have answered more than 100 calls about this so far and I still haven't got it straight in my head.

"I don't know why the changes were made. I think people might as well take the Number 1 into the city centre instead if they can - it's more frequent."

Pensioner Gwen Huxtep, 84, who boarded the Number 10 bus in Windmill Road, Headington, on Wednesday morning, says: "I wish they hadn't changed the buses. Nobody seems to know what's going on. They don't all stop in my area. It's a complete mess.

"It's so confusing and complicated and this route is used a lot by elderly people."

The problem lies in the fact that the buses are not what they appear.

Number 10s go from the railway station to the JR, Headington, Wood Farm, The Slade, then Cowley centre.

Number 10As miss out the Cowley centre, Wood Farm and Headington entirely and go from the railway station to the Cowley Road, the Churchill Hospital, Brookes University, then the JR - a greatly reduced service.

Buses also run in the reverse direction, but though the signs on the front of each bus show its final destination, it is difficult to know at first glance which is which.

Passengers are given no indication as to which route the bus will take, and whether the stop they want is on that route.

Stagecoach says passengers should benefit because services now run between the JR and Cowley every 15 minutes, rather than every 20 minutes. But to passengers it is bureaucracy gone mad. The bus company is trying to make the most of its drivers, but everyone who tries to understand the new timetable says it defies logic.

Newly elected councillor Biddy Hudson (Lab), who travels regularly on Stagecoach buses across the city, said she thought she understood the changes, but when she attempted to explain them she seemed as confused as everyone else.

She admitted: "I thought I'd got the hang of it and knew where to get the buses and where they were going, but I'm confused now.

"Many people in my ward have contacted me about this issue. I thought I had it sussed, but I don't."

And it is not only the passengers who are confused. Bus drivers are equally perplexed by the changes.

One, who asked not to be named, said: "It's absolute havoc - it's crazy. We don't know if we're coming or going. I have to keep checking my special chart to find out where I'm meant to be going.

"I drive into town as a Number 10 then change to a number 10A for the return journey. Passengers can't understand what's going on. They think they'll be safe getting on a number 10, but then find out it won't go to the destination they want.

"I've applied for a job at BMW's plant at Cowley. The pay will be better and I won't be shouted at by angry passengers all day. I can't stand the hassle any longer."

Research assistant Leticia Campo, 26, of Cowley, who works at the JR, is relieved she has a flexible start time at work because the buses are so unreliable she cannot expect to arrive on time.

She said: "It is a strange system. Everyone is complaining. I turn up at the stop and hope for the best. The buses are always late anyway."

Stagecoach spokesman David Whitley said: "Inevitably, there have been some complaints, but some are about teething problems or from people who have simply misread the timetable.

"It is in our interest for these changes to work and we will be monitoring the service closely."

The Government is trying to encourage more people to use public transport, but it is likely to be successful only if it provides viable alternatives to the car.

And the passengers agree that Numbers 10 and 10A buses certainly do not do that.

*If you have any comments about Numbers 10 and 10A services, write to David Whitley, Customer Services, Stagecoach, Horspath Road, Cowley, Oxford OX4 2RY.