The decision to introduce one-man buses in Oxford backfired on the first day.

Union officials refused to allow the first bus to leave the Cowley Road garage.

As in other towns and cities, buses in Oxford had operated with a driver to drive the bus and a conductor to collect the fares and control passengers.

But because of staff shortages, City of Oxford Motor Services was given permission by the Licensing Authority of the East Midland Traffic Area to run buses with just a driver for a trial period.

The driver was not expected to collect fares and issue tickets. Passengers were put on trust and asked to put their money in a coin box inside the bus.

The first one-man bus was due leave Cornmarket Street on the No 2 route on the morning of Wednesday, April 4, 1956.

But when driver Rodney Yates got in the cab, three leaders of the busmen's branch of the Transport and General Workers' Union Arthur Gillians, Mr C McCluskey and Mr A Ward stood in his way.

They said they objected to the use of 'conductorless' buses and ordered him not to leave the depot.

Mr Yates said: "As a member of the union, I have no alternative but to obey instructions."

Mr TP Sheridan, the bus company's general manager, had told the Oxford Mail earlier that he had had several meetings with union representatives.

He said he had made it clear to them that the one-man buses were being introduced as a emergency measure and would be used only when no conductors were available.

After the first bus had failed to leave the depot, he said: "The action of the local branch of the trade union is inexplicable."

At the time, the company was suffering from a severe shortage of conductors.

Drivers often turned up for work, only to find they could not take out a bus, because no conductor was available to make up a full crew.