The cancellation of a major bus route has sparked anger among East Lancashire residents.

The Pendle Wizz bus service from Burnley runs to Colne and Skipton and provides residents with a ‘reliable and early’ service to Manchester within two hours.

However, The Burnley Bus Company announced plans to scrap the Pendle Wizz service and replace it with the Mainline M6 as part of their ‘Better Buses for Burnley’ which will be in place from April 16.

The Burnley Bus Company said: “We'll be giving more customers a direct bus to Skipton, replacing Pendle Wizz.

“Buses will run every hour along the current Mainline route between Burnley and Colne, extending to Barnoldswick and Skipton every hour seven days per week, with extra buses at busy times to ensure we can carry all of our customers comfortably.

“Buses will continue to run every 10 minutes between Burnley and Colne with Mainline M3, M4, M5 and M6 combined.”

The chairman of Barnoldswick Council, cllr Jodie Greaves is a regular user of the Pendle Wizz service and says she is shocked that the company have decided to scrap the service.

She said: “Less than a month ago we got an email saying there was no intention to change the Pendle Wizz service.

“As things stand with the service, I have to get a lift to work in the morning because I can’t get to the shop in time. It’s always overcrowded in the morning, there are a lot of children from Barnoldswick and Colne as well that attend Skipton Academy so by the time it gets to Ben Lane, which is where I get on, it just drives straight past you. Changing to a single deck bus will make things even more inadequate.

“I don’t drive so anyone who doesn’t have their own transport is going to have to plan two hours in advance just to get transport. It’s also concerning for college students and anyone else trying to get home in the dark because it won’t be a reliable service.

“The company should’ve consulted us before making these changes. It’s affecting people’s safety and their livelihood.”

The company stated that “the Pendle Wizz has become quite unreliable with its ageing double decker buses” and “poor customer numbers throughout the day” which is why it will be removed from service and replaced with single buses.

The announcement was also met with anger in a Barnoldswick community group on Facebook and residents are concerned the replacement will increase travel times to Burnley and the use of single deck buses on a service will create overcrowding during peak times.

One commuter said he would “be lost without this service” with others adding that the replacement is unfair for students who use the Pendle Wizz service for college.

The Burnley Bus Company added: “College students travelling from Barnoldswick to Burnley also have the dedicated 120 bus which takes them to the college much quicker than the Mainline and drops them at the door.”

Another resident said: “There should have been a public consultation about this instead of pulling it, that’s a disgrace.”

Residents are calling for action before the plans are put into operation and regular commuters on the Pendle Wizz service have contacted Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson.

MP Stephenson said: "I have heard from a lots of residents who are concerned about these changes and have relayed them to the Burnley Bus Company. 

"Some of the concerns seem to be unfounded, but others are raising very legitimate concerns and I think the Bus Company should consult with passengers before making these changes. 

"At the moment the current Pendle Wizz service is completely unreliable with its very old double deckers, so I hope whatever changes are made will improve reliability which has been poor. 

"However, it is important residents understand what is proposed and how it will meet their needs before any changes happen."

The Burnley Bus Company and Barnoldswick councillors have been contacted for comments.