A DARWEN mother says the low floor bus service provided by Blackburn Transport is not helping the people it is supposed to.

Mrs Pierina McCaughran, who has a four month old daughter, said: "Anytime I want to get on one of these single decker buses there's no chance, it's full of schoolchildren - the low floor buses are much easier if you can get on one - they lower the steps so you don't have to tip the pram up."

Mrs McCaughran, 30, of Dove Lane said: "It's been like this for the four months I've had to use it, nothing is being done and I'm getting annoyed.

"I've spoken to loads of people and they've all said the same thing - the buses are full and they don't let you on anyway."

She said she sometimes had to wait half an hour to get on a bus which had made her late in taking her six-year-old to St Edward's Primary School.

She said: "Bus drivers should tell schoolchildren to get up for a pram, they should leave these low floor buses for people like me and people who have to use a wheelchair -but the drivers don't even smile or say thanks or anything- they have no manners."

Managing Director of Blackburn Transport, Michael Morton said that in a lot of cases bus drivers did ask people to move and there were notices on the buses telling people to keep areas free for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

He said: "In peak times - such as the mornings, the buses do get very full and sometimes there is no more room for people. This is always a problem for low floor single deckers. We were the first in East Lancashire to introduce these buses in September 1999 and have 15 on the road.

"There are to be six more single decker buses coming on January 7, two of which will serve Darwen, everything we buy now will have a low floor."

He added new double decker low floor buses were also expected to be ordered next year.

Responding to Mrs McCaughran's complaint about the behaviour of bus drivers he said: "Most of our customers say our drivers are very good, we do get the odd driver who may have an off day but our drivers are regularly surveyed and reports show them to be very courteous and friendly."