FRUSTRATED commuters were forced to wait hours for their bus home last week after services were cancelled due to staff shortages.

Those waiting for the 474 service from Bury to Ramsbottom faced a long wait last week after First buses informed customers that services from 5.58pm until 7.40pm would not be running.

This is not the first time that commuters have been left short with a number of services being cancelled or reduced since the closure of the Bury depot in April.

Cllr Noel Bayley, Bury Council’s representative on the Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) committee, believes the depots closure is to blame for the staff shortages affecting services.

He said: “Given that it was First's decision to not only close the depot - on economic grounds - but to name the date it is remarkable that they don't seem to have been adequately prepared for approximately 50 staff, many of them drivers, leaving the company.

“Instead of 'business as usual' the business of getting a bus has become even more hit and miss than it ever was, with First's Bury network now boasting more holes than a Swiss cheese.

“I am well aware that the 472 and 474 services have been badly hit in the north of the borough and that TfGM staff have been doing their best by putting notices up at the Interchange, although I accept that this doesn't help those waiting at stops between Bury and Ramsbottom for cancelled buses.”

A spokesperson for First UK Bus said: “We are actively recruiting across our local depots at the moment and would encourage anyone interested in a bus driving career to get in touch with us at www.firstgroupcareers.com.

“To minimise any impact on our service for customers we’ve been offering overtime for colleagues and have recruited agency driving staff.”

Cllr Bayley added: “The people of Bury deserve better, much better than this, but with First boss Dave Alexander having been "unavailable" to attend a TfGM bus sub-committee since his last visit in November 2013 - despite repeated requests to do so - First don't appear to want to account for their catastrophic failings.

“In the meantime they are happy to plunder the public purse to the tune of £5.2million per annum in subsidies.”