The biggest bus shake up in Bradford for more than a century will hit the roads this month - modelled on the London Underground.

Colour-coded underground-type maps will go out with new timetables and be displayed on the buses.

But, unlike some of the London tube trains that can be quite shabby, passengers will use new super buses built for comfort at a cost of £10 million to launch the district transport revolution.

The 'Bradford Overground' is taking off as transport secretary John Prescott accelerates his campaign to try to get cars off Britain's snarled up, polluted roads.

The new system will affect 36 services run by the company which operates 85 per cent of Bradford's bus travel. The services currently carry about 60,000 passengers a week.

But how will Bradford's armies of seasoned passengers who know the routes and timetables off by heart - and have been using them for years - respond to the drastic changes which will come in on July 23?

Many bus users are angry and say the changes are being forced upon them with lack of consultation.

Councillor Ann Ozolins, a member of the West Yorkshire Passenger Authority, says she knew nothing of the change until a resident in her Idle, Bradford ward, told her about it.

Now Coun Ozolins claims she has been told by First Bradford that it is "written in stone" and the services will be brought in whatever the public say.

Yet, she has been inundated with complaints from residents about a circular service from Ravenscliffe to Thorpe Edge being removed.

And elderly people in Idle have also launched a petition complaining that they have lost their direct service to Leeds.

Coun Ozolins said: "I am doing my best to get people to use public transport and all this has been done without consultation. I have been told it is written in stone."

Also deeply concerned about the changes is Bradford Council's executive member for environment, covering transport, Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, who complains the direct bus link from Bradford to her own ward of Ilkley should not have been withdrawn. She is also worried about the changes in Eccleshill, Idle and Thorpe Edge.

Bradford North MP Terry Rooney is also at the thick of the controversy.

He has written to the company asking why it appeared to be breaking government policy by reducing services in an area where few people have access to cars.

If he is not satisfied with the reply, he says he will go to transport under secretary Keith Hill.

Lord Mayor Stanley King - a lifelong transport expert - said: "They are doing a lot of changes in the Eccleshill and Ravenscliffe areas and it is not the way to encourage people. We want to get the public back on the buses."

First Bradford managing director Andy Campbell says: "It is radical, but once people use it they will like it and use it."

The company insists there has been consultation and they have responded to passengers needs - by law they only need to give 42 days' notice of the changes.

Mr Campbell said: "Customer surveys have been done on the buses for the past two years and we have responded to what our customers are telling us.

"We don't believe any area has been left with inadequate public transport.

"We are bringing in an easy to use public transport service with more frequent and better quality services.

"We will monitor the new system monthly and could make changes if there was something wrong - but we wouldn't do it lightly.

"Over the last three years we have spent £19 million on new vehicles, and this year there will be another £10 million. We have taken on another ten drivers and staff because of the Overground.

If you wanted to travel from Ilkley to Bradford, you could change from a First Leeds to First Bradford, and you wouldn't be expected to pay two lots of fares."

Operations Director Khadim Hussain said although some services in the Eccleshill area had been re-routed it had brought improvements in both frequency and convenience.

"Once people see what we are doing, we hope to increase the number of passengers.

"We believe it means good news for the future of all Bradford's bus passengers."

But before the new Overground comes in, the company, which operates 85 per cent of Bradford's bus services, will have to convince the public it is for the best.

Widespread concern about its effect has led to a public meeting being organised at Eccleshill Upper School, Harrogate Road at 7pm next Wednesday (July 12).

The company met Bradford Council yesterday and will also attend a meeting of the West Yorkshire passenger transport consultative committee at 2pm at City Hall tomorrow (Friday). Councillors are urging people to attend.

And when the Bradford Overground begins to roll in just over a fortnight's time there will be the incentive of cut price travel for people using First Cards .

For the first six weeks passengers will pay £8 for a week of unlimited travel, instead of £10.

Full details of the new Bradford Overground and changes to services will be available through the Telegraph&Argus and travel centres next week.