THE RED-faced Schedules Officer of a Leeds bus company has personally apologised to angry

customers after he forgot to publicise changes to timetables affecting Wharfedale services.

First Leeds was inundated with phone calls from bus passengers after all services between Skipton, Ilkley, Otley and Leeds seemed to be running at least five minutes later than timetabled.

In fact they were running on schedule. But bosses at First Leeds had forgotten to tell anyone, except the drivers, that they had actually changed the bus times.

"I was dragged in and given the sternest of

lectures for not doing that publicity," said Alan Smith, Schedules Officer at First Leeds. "I have apologised to everyone for my mistake.

"In fact, the WYPTA (West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority) had printed the new timetables, but obviously they had just been sent to the agents, so no-one knew about them. It is our responsibility to advertise the changes on the buses, and that was not done," he admitted.

Mr Smith explained that he had no idea that he had made the oversight until the phone calls

started coming in from customers wondering where their buses had gone. It took a further two days before the correct times were advertised.

"As soon as I learned of the mistake, we arranged for notices to be placed on all the buses. But

obviously that is not an excuse for what happened."

Now, however, First Leeds has had to go back on some of the recent changes after customers complained that the rescheduling of certain early morning weekday X84 services meant that the buses no longer met connecting trains.

Mr Smith explained: "We changed the timetable back immediately on these two of three departures after we learnt of the complaints."

The modifications to the timetable were part of a major shake-up across the First Leeds district. However, the more radical alterations to services in other parts of the city were advertised in the usual and correct way.

The changes were implemented because of services persistently running late on routes across the First Leeds network. It is hoped that the new times will enable the company to offer a more reliable service in the busier winter months.

Meanwhile, First Leeds has denied suggestions that it is planning cuts on its routes serving Wharfedale. Fears had arisen after First Bradford withdrew many of its services, reducing the number of buses operating between Ilkley, Burley, Otley, Menston and Bradford.

Although First Leeds said that all of its services were "always under review", there appears to be no imminent threat to routes serving the Wharfe Valley.

First Leeds also assured customers that the company was in communication with its sister company in Bradford about services that crossed between the two cities' boundaries.

"We recently adjusted our timetables slightly after First Bradford implemented their changes," said First Leeds Commercial Director Richard Harris. "However, we have no plans at all to reduce our services in Wharfedale."