TRADERS have condemned a proposed £20million bus lane plan which would link Darwen and Accrington to Blackburn town centre.

The proposed new routes are part of East Lancashire Rapid Transit plan by Blackburn with Darwen council and Lancashire County Council, to improve transport between key employment sites.

But a bus route was put in place in Eanam,Blackburn, two years ago to ease congestion and shop keepers in the area have claimed that traffic problems have got worse since the road changes.

Abbas Firfirey, owner of A F Furniture in Higher Eanam said: "Since they changed the road and put a bus lane in, all the shop keepers in this area have suffered.

"We used to do very well, but now we are unable to use the front of the property for loading and unloading because of the double yellow lines, and there is no room for customers to park.

"The road is also a lot closer to the shop and we're getting more noise and litter."

A spokesman for Blackburn Tile Centre, in Higher Eanam, agreed that the bus lane in the area had had a significant impact on the business.

He said: "Because of the bus lane we get so much traffic on our right hand side so customers can't park and they go elsewhere or go home.

"Since all the road changes in Eanam, we have definately experienced a loss in trade. I wouldn't like to see it happen to other businesses if they bring in the new plans."

The lanes would run from Darwen, along the A666 to Blackburn, and from Accrington to Blackburn through Church and Intack. The bus lane would only be added at key points where congestion is a problem. Officials have yet to release details of where the sections of bus lane will be.

Other plans include the completion of the Furthergate bus lane to Whitebirk and a number of junction improvements in Blackburn, Darwen and Accrington.

Public consultation is set to start on the bid to encourage people to use public transport and cut congestion but Darwen MP Janet Anderson said the proposals were a "barmy idea".

She said she feared that dozens of parking spaces would be lost, front gardens could be ripped up to accommodate the lane and that more congestion would occur.

The scheme, which will cost around £20million, is on a Department of Transport high-priority list with other North West projects.

For years the possibility of a tram network for East Lancashire was discussed - but this was ditched in 2005 because the area is "too hilly."

Andrew Howard, head of road safety at the AA said: "We have nothing against bus lanes in the right places. We usually say that if a bus lane isn't working out then they should remove them, but when it is a £20m scheme, I doubt very much this would be an option.

"Bus lanes can even things up by making more lanes of traffic available for cars and not blocking roads at bus stops. But it all depends on how many buses there will be and how many passengers will use them."

A spokesman for The Car Party, a group set up to represent motorists in the UK said: "We will campaign for a reduction in bus lanes and believe they cause traffic congestion. Road space is paid for by all road users."