A York bus operator has been issued with a final warning by traffic commissioners over poor punctuality following a deluge of complaints from bus passengers.

Rider York Ltd, which trades as First York, was criticised for not running its services on time after failing to make contingency arrangements when it took over Glenn Coaches.

The commissioners said the company's failure to operate timetabled bus services properly was "unacceptable" and it had broken the "contract" existing between a service provider and the general public.

The written warning stated that the bus company had failed to make arrangements to deal with the rise in absenteeism and cancelled rest days when it took over the coach firm on September 1.

It warned that if First York failed to operate its services properly again, the matter would be brought before a public inquiry.

At the time the Evening Press was also inundated with calls and letters from angry travellers complaining about late services and that some buses had failed to turn up at all. Just under 70 people complained about 70 different services run by First York between August 14 and September 27.

The region's bus and coach regulator, North Eastern Traffic Commissioner Keith Waterworth, added: "I note the company's view that the difficulties with which they were faced were transient in nature and have been completely solved and that the revised September timetables are in place and being operated as registered."

General manager of First York, Brian Asquith, today said: "We agree there was a four-week period when the number of drivers transferring from Glenn was much less then we expected. This meant we were unable to run some of the services. Also, we didn't realise that a number of drivers would take leave when the transfer took place."

However, he added: "We now run 99.5 per cent of our mileage and have recruited a number of new drivers so this will not happen again."

l Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh was today presenting a petition to Parliament from her constituents in protest at First York's decision to alter the Wigginton, Haxby bus service so that it no longer serves Wheatfield Lane.

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