Massive investment in new buses for Keighley has been welcomed -- by a rail group!

The Aire Valley Rail Users Group says it is delighted at Keighley and District Travel's spending on easy-access vehicles.

K&DT this autumn is introducing an additional 14 Volvo single-deckers to its fleet, at a total cost of £1.75 million.

The investment takes its total spending on new buses during the past 18 months to a staggering £3 million.

All the new low-floor emission-controlled vehicles will be fitted with CCTV cameras, including a device fitted externally to monitor other traffic movements.

Cameras are proving a huge boon on the vehicles of sister-company Harrogate and District Travel -- with taped evidence from the devices helping police on several occasions -- and the CCTV is expected to be equally effective in Keighley.

K&DT managing director Stuart Wilde says: "We intend deploying 10 buses to upgrade the local Star Bus network, leaving four for the relaunch of one of our major routes under a new title."

Ray Wilkes, for the Aire Valley Rail Users Group, says the investment is good news for all public transport enthusiasts.

He adds: "In the past, buses were not as comfortable as trains and, unfortunately, they are still perceived as a second-class form of travel by many planners and rail users. However, this is emphatically not the case any more.

"For local journeys, the newest buses provide a comparable level of comfort to new trains and also provide disabled access. The main purpose of our group is to promote railways in the Aire Valley. However, buses reach parts of the community that railways don't, and buses can provide a convenient link to the station without creating additional parking problems."