COUNTY council transport managers said they would continue to work closely with bus companies after the firms cut the frequency of buses on some services due to congestion.

And despite the concerns, the council insists temporary roadworks are 'necessary' to maintain roads and utilities.

Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach announced on Monday that some services, including the 1, 3A, 5, 8 and 9 would run less often from Sunday, April 8 to ‘improve reliability’.

Bus company bosses said they had been forced into the move by the council’s traffic management and cited roadworks in Frideswide Square and the Access to Headington scheme as a contributing factor to delays.

County council spokesman Martin Crabtree said transport managers would continue to work closely with the bus companies.

But he insisted that utility works, which could cause hold-ups, would have to go ahead when they were required.

Mr Crabtree said: “As the bus companies rightly say traffic patterns do change and adjustments are necessary on some routes.

“Maintaining the roads and public services like gas, electric and water all require traffic management which can cause temporary disruption to some bus services. However all works are necessary whether it is repairs to utilities or major transport schemes which are designed to improve and upgrade the transport network.

“We work very closely with the bus companies and have a strategy in place to reduce congestion and provide a step-change in public transport.”