STAGECOACH Ribble was forced to run free bus services for a week after administrative blunders cost them a valuable contract.

The bus company ran free bus services in the Ribble Valley after it was banned from collecting fares by industry regulators, The Traffic Commission.

Lancashire County Council awarded Stagecoach Ribble the contract to run six subsidised services in the Clitheroe, Gisburn, Whalley and Nelson areas from April 17.

A council spokesman said: "When a contract is awarded, it's the company's obligation to register the services with the Traffic Commission, but they didn't do that."

In July, the company was labelled the worst in the North West, when it was revealed one in eight bus services were more than six minutes late or failed to turn up at all.

Industry regulator Mark Hinchcliffe said: "Of the large operators, Stagecoach Ribble's intolerable level of failure was the worst." The company was hit with a massive £120,000 fine by the Government - more than 17 times the next largest fine handed out - and banned from taking on any more routes.

So when the company applied to register the 200, 202, 205, 206, 207 and 209 services more than three months after it started running them, it was told it was too late.

Although Stagecoach Ribble was allowed to drive buses over the route, it was banned from taking fares. Stagecoach Ribble took passengers for free last week until a new company could be found to run the services.

Border buses took over the routes on Monday and will run buses for ten weeks. Lancashire County Council will then put the contract out to tender.

Julian Peddle, of Border buses, said: "We were asked to take them over by Lancashire County Council. We will apply for the contract and hope to get it."

Nobody at Stagecoach Ribble was available to comment.

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