Cyclists are being offered an education by bus drivers in a bid to make Oxford's roads safer.

Training officers from Stagecoach Oxford and the Oxford Bus Company are to hand out new leaflets entitled Bus Drivers and Cyclists in Harmony to cyclists.

The move was sparked by growing concern that many cyclists failed to follow the rules of the Highway Code, the bus companies said.

The leaflet is a joint initiative by Peter Hunt, of Stagecoach, and Norman Davies, of the Oxford Bus Company. It explains basic Highway Code rules, including what red lights mean and where cyclists should position themselves on the road.

About 700 drivers have also been given leaflets to make sure they are aware of cyclists' needs too.

Mr Hunt said: "Bus drivers and cyclists should work together to make the roads safe. The leaflet is intended to make bus drivers and cyclists more aware of each other's needs, show how we can help each other to make our journeys safer and encourage travel by cycle and bus."

Mr Davies said cyclists ignored road junctions and red lights, while bus drivers were not as considerate to cyclists as they could be.

He said part of the problem was probably due to the high number of foreign students in the city, many of whom travel by bike but may not be familiar with the Highway Code.