AN INQUIRY has been launched after it was claimed that Blackburn's two warring bus firms were not sticking to their timetables.

And if the investigation finds that the firms - Blackburn Borough Transport and new start-up firm Catchmebus.com - are operating in a way which is detrimental to public services they could have their fleets reduced or have their routes stripped.

Today the rival firms - who are competing on around a dozen routes across Blackburn and Darwen - accused each other of instigating the complaints.

North West Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell has dispatched a team of inspectors to Blackburn to check out the allegations which have been made against both firms.

The inspectors, from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, are due to compile a report about the complaints within the next few weeks.

Once the report has been completed, Mrs Bell will decide whether to hold a public hearing accusing the firms of breaking the terms of their route registrations by persistently failing to stick to their timetables. She has the power to order them to reduce their fleet or strip the routes.

Blackburn Blackburn Transport -- the former corporation bus company which was turned into a private company wholly-owned by the council following deregulation -- had a near monopoly on the town's bus routes for more than a decade.

Catchmebus.com began operating against Blackburn Transport on one route last April, and increased that to seven in October where it bought a fleet of red buses from across the UK.

Last month it began running on another four routes similar to Blackburn Borough Transport's. It has also begun operating under the name Buzy Bus Ltd.

A spokesman for the Traffic Commissioner, who bus companies have to register their bus routes and timetables eights weeks before they are started or altered, said: "A lot of complaints have been received about the services operated by the two companies not running to timetable

"Mrs Bell has sent inspectors to Blackburn to investigate for themselves. A report will be compiled for her within the next few weeks.

"From then, she will decide what action to take. Ultimately, she can remove the permission to run certain services if she feels it is in the public interest."

Both companies today denied they were doing anything wrong.

Michael Morton, managing director of Blackburn Borough Transport, said: "We have been in correspondence with the Traffic Commissioner about a certain bus operator.

"We have received a lot of complaints from customers about them too and I am sure they have written to the Traffic Commissioner as well.

"I am certain we have done nothing wrong, everything has been done by the book and I am confident that the inspectors will see that. I can take an educated guess where the complaints against us have come from."

Suzanne Bailey, managing director of Catchmebus.com, said: "We know they've complained about us.

"I don't think we've done anything wrong. Our services are proving successful with customers and I think they are just scared of competition.

"We've made no complaints. We are just busy making our business successful."

Blackburn Borough Transport is also considering legal action against Catchmebus.com after the firm began using the name Blackburn Transport on the side of some buses.

It did this after registering the name Blackburn Transport at Companies House and Mrs Bailey has said the firm has yet to decide what do with the name, and is just putting it on the side of buses 'to raise potential brand awareness.'

Blackburn Borough Transport has used the name Blackburn Transport on the side of its buses for years.

Mr Morton said: "Things have moved on with solicitors but I cannot say any more."

Today all bus operators in the borough were being subjected to Blackburn with Darwen Council's annual travel cenus as part of the annual local transport plan.