PASSENGERS in Woolston are getting used to six buses turning up - never mind the usual three - as competition for fares hots up.

Bosses at coach company Bennetts claim Warrington Borough Transport has now introduced four buses an hour at peak times.

These include two duplicate services, according to Bennetts, meaning two buses are arriving at stops within seconds of each other.

Bennetts launched a half-hourly 104 service for Woolston in February 2002, after bus giant Arriva announced it was moving out of Warrington and abandoning the route.

Then three months later WBT unveiled plans for a 3A service, initially on a trial basis, claiming that their extra services have been prompted by passenger demand.

Bennetts joint managing director David Bennett warned the situation had now reached such a point that the company might have to consider making some of its drivers redundant.

"It has become very difficult and put us in a position that we never thought we would be," said Mr Bennett.

"It seems very personal. We feel that this is a very intimidating action, to try to get us to pull off (this route)."

He says that with the arrival of the school holidays, and the loss of custom from Woolston High pupils, passenger numbers were lower than usual.

But Nigel Featham, managing director of Warrington Borough Transport, said: "The service to Woolston was introduced following a large number of requests from the public.

"Passenger numbers have exceeded our expectations and the route has now become an established part of the network.

"School holiday periods allow us to operate a small number of extra buses on the route, which we believe benefits passengers."