ELDERLY and disabled bus passengers using special community transport are riding around in 'old bangers', says former Pendle Mayor Doris Allen.

Their plight has outraged Councillor Allen, who was told two years ago that the community buses would be replaced.

County council officials encountered her wrath 12 months ago when she discovered they had not got round to ordering two replacement minibuses for Pendle's dial-a-bus service, which is administered by Pendle and paid for by Lancashire County Council.

Mrs Allen, chairman of Pendle's services committee, eventually managed to get confirmation in February this year that the buses were on their way.

She said: "We were given very firm promises early this year but they have again been broken.

"Meanwhile, passengers have had to put up with 'old banger' rides for another year.

"In addition, money has again been wasted on repairing clapped out vehicles and hiring temporary replacements.

"The whole saga is nothing less than amazing.

"I just do not know how the County Council can be quite so bureaucratic and inefficient as it has been."

One of the two new buses is now promised for delivery in December, and the second for 'some time in the spring'.

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