BUS firms have hit out at Lancashire County Council's proposed cost-cutting measures.

The council proposes to drastically reduce the amount of printed timetables provided at bus stops.

Around 150 ‘real-time’ electronic displays, which currently tell passengers at some stops in East Lancashire, South Ribble and Preston when the next service is due, are set to be scrapped to save £175,000 annually.

Another £100,000 will be recouped by not providing printed timetables at 4,000 bus stops, and fewer leaflets will be produced.

A text service telling passengers when their next bus is due will also go.

Operators will be unable to plot the movements of services.

Buses will no longer be given priority at certain traffic light junctions.

And ageing bus stop plates will be repaired only where necessary.

Firms including Transdev and Rossendale Transport have attacked the proposals, which are set to be debated by county councillors on Thursday.

Douglas Robertson, Transdev business director, accused County Hall of failing to consult with operators.

He says the county council has invested at least £3million in ‘real-time’ alongside contributions from the commercial sector.

In a letter, Mr Robertson said: “What we are looking at is a 21st Century bus service being dragged down by a return to, or the retention of, a 19th Century infrastructure.”

Matthew Parkes, Rossendale transport finance director, said: “The proposed cut of bus stop information sites from 5,000 to 1,000 will seriously damage public confidence in our network.

“Although there is a growing use of the internet and the SMS text service, our borough has a high percentage of elderly people who do not use these services.”

County Coun Tim Ashton, Lancashire’s highways cabinet member, said the service could continue if bus operators agreed to take on its management and costs.

Insisting tight budgets meant the council had to focus on core services, he said: “I would rather have a bus that is on time than real-time information.”

Feedback from bus users, including young people’s groups, backed this up, he added.