PASSENGERS are calling on double deckers to be introduced on a popular city route to stop passengers being left stranded at bus stops.

Bus users living in Marston conducted a survey which showed eight number 13 buses, running from the John Radliffe Hospital to Oxford train station, were too full to pick up passengers over 13 days.

They also complained that passengers were squeezed on like sardines with standing room only if the buses were not too full to stop at the Marston Court bus stop.

Jo Bartlett, of William Street in Marston, who conducted the survey said: “The route is absolutely chock-a-block. At least once a week people can’t get on the bus.

“The buses are full, there’s too many students and they can’t get all their luggage on.

“It’s very annoying and frustrating.

“When I was doing the survey about 20 people over three weeks were left off altogether.”

Miss Bartlett, who hosts foreign language students at her home, added: “It’s an important connection to the station.”

Oxford Bus Company’s route 13 runs every 20 minutes during peak hours, via Northway and Oxford High Street.

The X13 dovetails with the service to offer passengers a bus every 10 minutes if they are travelling into the city centre, but it does not serve the station.

Mick Haines, 70, of Croft Road said: “It’s very bad. I have seen people squashed like sardines on the bus and a lot of people say to me it definitely needs a double decker.

“The worst time is between 8.05am and 8.30am and it’s crucial for getting people to work at that time.”

Mr Haines is concerned the situation could become impossible for residents as a block of flats for 371 students is set to open on the corner of Marston Road and John Garne Way next year.

He added: “The situation is only going to get worse.”

OxfordBus Company operations director Louisa Weeks said: “We are aware that occasional journeys at the busiest times are full on a small part of the route. We know how frustrating that can be for passengers but it’s also really frustrating for us.

“There’s no pattern or rhyme or reason to indicate when the buses are likely to be full, it seems to happen on average on one journey a week, at different times, in the morning rush hour.

“We are carefully monitoring the situation.

“We will be reviewing the whole of the service once the next phase of Transform Oxford is in place and resources are freed up.

“In the meantime I can assure our passengers in the Marston area that the last thing in the world we want to do is leave them at their bus stop.”