A LEIGH couple claim a bus service for the disabled is being used as a glorified taxi by people fit enough to travel on ordinary buses.

As a result pensioners Marie and Derek Bell, of Abbey Square, Leigh, say they have trouble booking the Ring and Ride Service.

Marie, 66, cares for her wheelchair-bound husband, who is also blind, and depends on the service to take him out twice a week.

But she says she finds it difficult to book a bus at the times needed because of block bookings to drop passengers at bingo or dancing sessions in Leigh.

Marie said: "We started using the service after Derek lost his leg. We don't go out very often but we find it depressing trying to book the bus."

She alleges that really disabled people have given up ringing because it seems to be the company's policy to fill the bus up rather than pick up individuals.

As a couple they only visit Leigh Visionaries' Club for blind people on Tuesdays and go shopping on another day but are finding it harder to book the bus.

Marie said: "We are often offered the opposite of what we want. If we ask for 10am to 12.30pm we are offered 2pm to 4pm. It's a service we need and wed be lost without it, but it seems these days the real disabled people cant get on."

Bernard Rowen, head of operations at Ring and Ride, said: "Mr and Mrs Bell have been regular users of the service since Mr Bell joined in 1999 but, unfortunately, on a limited number of occasions, we have been unable to provide transport for them.

"Ring and Ride operates on a restricted budget and has to use its resources to serve as many people as it can. We try to accommodate all requests by sometimes offering an alternative time for a journey. However, this is not always suitable for the passenger. It may occasionally be difficult to book a trip due to the popularity of the service, which carried out more than 154,000 passenger journeys in Wigan and Leigh last year.

"The service is provided for those who find it difficult to use ordinary forms of public transport. In many cases, a passengers disability may not be apparent to another user. We take care to ensure that the service is not abused and certain criteria must be met for people to be able to register. Anyone wanting to use the service must complete an application form, giving details of their mobility problems.

"Ring and Ride provides a lifeline for people who would otherwise find it difficult to get out and about. Visits to bingo, dancing and other social activities enable passengers to become involved with their local community, which, without the service, they may not be able to do."