PASSENGERS travelling across East Lancashire can look forward to a better ride following the launch of the Quality Bus Route.

The scheme, a partnership between Blackburn with Darwen Council, Lancashire County Council and Stagecoach Ribble, was launched at Accrington bus station in Blackburn Road.

And, as part of the new service, passengers can look forward to lower floors with no boarding steps, bus shelters with seating, lighting, easy to understand timetables, and a comfier ride through bus lanes with priority at traffic lights, and park free stops.

The first route, the Hyndburn Circular, stops at Blackburn, Knuzden, Oswaldtwistle, Accrington, Clayton-le-Moors, Great Harwood and Rishton.

Coun Frank Connor, chairman of Blackburn with Darwen's planning and highways committee, said: "We hope the Hyndburn Circular will be the first of many routes providing a quality service and producing a model of best practice which will serve as a benchmark for other routes."