Loss-making bus service doomed

2:44pm Thursday 20th March 2008

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COUNCIL bosses have refused to "roll over" and subsidise a doomed bus service.

Lancashire United, the private company that runs Blackburn with Darwen's bus network, has decided not to continue with the evening service on the eight and nine routes between Blackburn and Shadsworth, blaming a lack of passengers.

The bus network has been in private hands since January 2007 when loss-making Blackburn Transport was sold, and Lancashire United is trying to make the service break even.

The council has the power to subsidise any routes it wants to protect, but has decided against the measure this time.

Speaking at a meeting of Blackburn with Darwen's executive board regeneration port-folio holder Coun Alan Cottam, said: "We can't roll over every time a bus company says it wants to withdraw a service. On that basis we would only have buses on the Darwen and Accrington routes where it's viable."