Trainee bus drivers are taught to share roads as part of their training at the Onehunga bus depot.

Bus drivers have been put through courses riding bikes in a bid to increase their empathy for cyclists on the roads.

Drivers from across Auckland have attended workshops following a series of close shaves between buses and bikes.

GoPro footage submitted to Stuff by a fed-up cyclist showed buses leaving him mere centimetres while overtaking.

CHRIS MCKEEN/STUFF Auckland bus drivers learn how to safely overtake a bike.

Bus driver-cyclist tensions came to a head in May when another bike commuter, Alec Tang, was cut off by a bus, almost causing him to crash him off the road in Newmarket.

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Nine bus drivers attended one of the workshops, at the NZ Bus Onehunga Bus Depot on Wednesday.

They were told to give people on bikes one-and-a-half metres' space from the edge of their handlebars - a space which surprised most drivers.

Instructor Julian Hulls of Next Bike walked them around a course which highlighted how much space they should leave.

He said cyclists should optimally be cycling one metre out from the left hand curb, meaning if a bus were to overtake it and give it one-and-a-half metres' space from the right handlebar, it would need to be almost entirely in the adjacent lane.

"[If you] see a bicycle, imagine it's a car. Then ask yourself, could you get past that imaginary car?

"If not, hang back and give the standard four seconds following distance."

The workshops were organised by Share the Road, which has taught about 800 people in the five years it has been running.

The session on Wednesday was optional, and used a training exercise - but bus drivers with near-misses or accidents on their records were particularly encouraged to attend.

CHRIS MARSHALL Footage captured by Auckland cyclist Chris Marshall shows buses only giving him mere centimetres while overtaking.

"Sometimes drivers are encouraged to participate, including ones that have had attitude issues, but they are basically optional," manager Richard Barter said.

"Its not a punishment, it is professional development."