BUS services were withdrawn from Oxford Station on four days this week as operators battled against congestion.

Oxford Bus Company announced on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and yesterday that stationary traffic in the area of Frideswide Square had led it to drop passengers in the city centre instead.

This included 5, 13, X3 and 4C routes.

The firm provided a shuttle bus service to the station square but apologised to customers for the inconvenience.

On Tuesday – the only day it did not pull services to the station – it reported delays of 45 minutes.

Kidlington teaching assistant Emily Clatworthy, 22, said: “It is an absolute joke. It’s bad enough that the roads are so terrible for drivers, they shouldn’t punish people getting public transport too.”

And retired construction worker Dean Harper, 72, of Summertown said: “I’m too old to be walking all over the place and I can’t find anyone to tell me where I need to go to find the right bus.”

Phil Ashworth, a spokesman for Oxford Bus Company said: “We hope this will be the last evening rush hour that’s affected by the flood works on Botley Road.

“We can only apologise to our passengers who, on the whole, realise we are doing everything we can to keep services moving.”

It came as roadworks at the Wolvercote and Cutteslowe roundabouts snarled up approaches to North Oxford and temporary traffic lights on Botley Road caused long queues in both directions.

The traffic also affected Stagecoach Oxfordshire, which tweeted delays of 25 minutes yesterday to its S2 service.