MANY travellers will be shocked today by the revelation that one of the North West's major bus operators, Ribble Motor Services, has been caught running dozens of defective buses - some so dangerous that they had to be instantly banned from the road.

But an extra concern is that this was no small-time "cowboy" company that was flouting the law and passenger safety, but a big undertaking, with vast experience, that is part of the giant Stagecoach transport group.

Deservedly, it is hammered by the authorities for its shabby and unsafe standards having the number of buses it is allowed to operate reduced by 20.

It is a fact that since the deregulation of bus services in 1985, the public's fears that the free-for-all would encourage corner-cutting on safety and comfort have been found to be exaggerated - even though more recently the government has indicated that a touch of re-regulation may be necessary to reduce pollution and lax standards on some urban services.

Nonetheless against that generally sound background it remains disturbing that such a large and continuing disregard for public safety can have occurred in this instance.

True, Department of Transport inspectors have swooped and uncovered the situation - and the company has paid a price.

But reassuring though it may be to see the watchdogs working - even though it seems that a concerned whistle-blower had to call them out - one wonders whether the slip in Ribble standards was a product of the way the deregulation of bus services has evolved over the past decade.

For while in principle the free-for-all has inspired competition, it has also created winners, with the famously-aggressive Stagecoach group being probably the biggest of all.

And with that situation has come, if not the return of the monopoly operator, then in some areas at least something approaching it.

Certainly Stagecoach has been referred at least 20 times to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission as it has fought bus wars up and down the country.

Is it, then, that a company which has seen off most of its rivals and grown dominant in the industry can become "too big" in terms of recognising its responsibilities regarding safety standards?

If so, then perhaps the ethic of healthy competition - for the passengers' benefit - needs to be restored to our bus services.

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