A bus driver on trial for careless driving following the death of an Oxford University student has denied talking to a colleague at the time of the crash.

Defendant Paul Willis, 48, of Witney Road, Long Hanborough, gave evidence at Wantage Magistrate's Court yesterday on the second day of the trial.

Willis was driving an Oxford Bus Company bus along the Cowley Road in Oxford just before 3.30pm on May 26, 2004, when St Catherine College student Emilie Harris, 20, fell into his path and the bus ran over her.

Willis is charged with both careless driving and speaking to someone while a public service vehicle is in motion.

His colleague Henry Stuart, of Mather Road, Barton, Oxford, is charged with breaching public service regulations by speaking to a driver while a vehicle is in motion. He pleads not guilty.

Giving evidence, Willis told the court he had said something on the lines of 'working a half day again?' to Stuart when he got on to the bus on High Street near Queen's Lane.

He said he also looked in his rear view mirror and asked both Stuart and a second off duty driver on the bus if either of them had to change near to the Plain roundabout but that it 'was not a conversation'.

Mr Willis said a final comment about 'hating this shift because of the schoolchildren' to Stuart was made when the bus was stationary at the first bus stop along the Cowley Road.

Prosecutor Jane Brady questioned Willis's version of events and played CCTV footage taken on board the bus which showed Stuart's head on the gangway at the front of the bus near to the driver's cabin.

The time-lapse camera footage showed Stuart turning to Willis with his mouth open in the seconds leading up to the collision - Miss Harris's bike could be seen several metres in front of the bus on the nearside of the road.

Willis said the number 5 was his regular route along the Cowley Road and he had driven the route 'countless' times since he started work for the Oxford Bus Company in February 2002.

He said his experience told him he had time to go past Miss Harris before a central island ahead narrowed the carriageway and squeezed the available space.

However, Willis admitted he had not seen a cyclist coming in the opposite direction moments before the collision which was passing two parked cars at the time and being overtaken by a 4x4 vehicle.

An expert report concluded that there would have been 45cm of space between Miss Harris and the bus if it had passed her.

It also concluded that there was no evidence to suggest that the bus had knocked Miss Harris off her bike, but that it was not known how she fell over.

Quoting the Highway Code, Miss Brady said that when vehicles are overtaking cyclists they should be given 'as much room as that which would be given to a car'. She said: "Emilie got into difficulties and fell off her cycle and you had not left her sufficient room."

Willis replied: "I understand what you are saying, but if every bus driver in the city did not overtake a cyclist without giving 6-8ft the whole city would grind to a halt, so where do you draw the line?"

The trial continues.