I WOULD like to endorse some of Mrs A Hesketh's comments (Letters, November 30) and would like to hear from any of our customers, not just those on the Higher Croft route, if they are experiencing problems with the service we provide.

This company is committed to providing the best possible service to its customers and I have already written to Mrs Hesketh asking for her comments on a package of measures that it has put in place to ensure that unreliability, despite roadworks that affect the Higher Croft route, is eradicated.

I note, however, the comments from Mr David Helmn (LET, December 6) and am pleased to see that we do indeed do something right for our customers.

We have invested almost £1.5 million in new buses, all of which are low-floor, easy-access vehicles and plan to continue this investment while providing bus services seven days a week throughout the day.

Of course, other operators will enter the market, providing a part-day service when they consider that there is an opportunity to cream off some revenue from an existing operator, but they seldom offer an evening service and rarely a Sunday service and, in many cases, don't even provide the level of service that they have registered.

Nor do they invest in new vehicles that meet new regulations with regard to exhaust emissions or disabled access. Of course, as and when these new regulations become compulsory, life will be different. My firm belief, however, is that customers want a quality bus service with professional drivers. From time to time, we received the occasional complaint, but I have the enviable position of being the managing director of a committed, very professional workforce that encompasses all of my staff.

Because of the level of service we provide, we can offer our Rovercards at competitive prices and we have recently introduced a Day Rover. We also believe in rewarding our regular customers and have brought in cheaper return fares during the high spending pre-Christmas rush in a bid to cut the cost of Christmas for them. We have also introduced a promotion on weekly Rovercards where our regular customers get every sixth card free.

With our continued investment and customer loyalty bonuses we can offer quality bus services to all of our customers. With their input, we can improve our network for the new millennium

Blackburn Transport has been providing public transport in Blackburn with Darwen for the whole of the 20th century and will continue to provide that quality service throughout the day every day in the 21st century.

MICHAEL MORTON, Managing Director, Blackburn Borough Transport Ltd.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.