Stagecoach faces criticism over accusations that Oxford bus driver did not stop to pick up Muslims

Stagecoach said they were 'at a loss' to explain why the driver did not stop

The complaint alleged that a bus driver repeatedly failed to stop for Muslim passengers (Getty)

The Stagecoach bus company has faced criticism over alleged incidents in Oxford when a driver appeared to not stop for Muslims waiting at bus stops.

The complaint, which was sent to Stagecoach and anti-Islamophobia group Tell MAMA, was written by a person who saw two incidents in one day of a bus appearing to not stop for Muslims.

One incident occurred on Cowley Road, an ethnically diverse area of the city. The complainant says that they saw a Muslim couple waiting for a bus.

It reads: "Upon [the bus's] arrival the couple tried to flag the bus down, but the driver, despite seeing them, completely ignored them and continued to drive on."

The complainant also says earlier in the day, they witnessed the same number 10 bus failing to stop for a group of people, one of whom was wearing a hijab.

Stagecoach corroborated the complainant's account and apologised, saying they saw the driver failing to stop during the alleged incidents after reviewing CCTV footage from onboard the bus.

A representative for Stagecoach said they were "at a loss to explain why the driver did not stop."

The representative also promised to "formally interview" the driver, and said his conduct would be reviewed in line with Stagecoach's equal opportunities policy.

Tell MAMA recently published findings on anti-Muslim incidents from 2014 to 2015. They has 548 verified incidents reported to them over the period.

Many of the incidents reported to them took place online, but of the 'offline' incidents, around 30 per cent happened while the victim was wearing traditional Islamic clothing.