A BUS firm bust-up has left some passengers fuming.

Two rival companies are at loggerheads over service timings on a shared route.

Both operators – Keighley Bus Company and Connexionsbuses – run services only about ten minutes apart between Ilkley, Otley and Harrogate.

The Keighley Bus Company service – 62 – also links with Keighley, Silsden and Addingham.

Among passengers angry at the timings clash is Les Goater, from Bradley Grove, Silsden.

"It's about time someone intervened in the stupidity of the two companies," he said.

"Both operate along mainly the same route to Harrogate, as the X52 and 62.

"If there is a need for two buses an hour along the route, can we change the timetables so they are half an hour apart and then benefit the customer?

"This obvious war is not in the public interest and I'm sure not in the interest of either company."

Craig Temple, managing director of Connexionsbuses, claims problems arose when the Keighley company extended its then-762 service to Harrogate.

"Instead of running it on the opposite half hour to our bus – so the services complemented each other – they went for the same time slot," he said.

"My only option was to move ours to be in front.

"We've tried talking to Transdev (Keighley Bus Company) to work with them on this, but to no avail.

"All they have done is repeated the exercise on more of our routes.

"The latest is using North Yorkshire County Council taxpayers' money to part-fund a service to run five minutes in front of one of ours from Wetherby to Harrogate."

But Colin Booth, general manager of Keighley Bus Company, denies the firm is to blame and says it is committed to providing high-quality services.

"Since we introduced the extension to the 62 we haven't changed our times once," he added.

"The other operator chose to bring its buses ten minutes in front of us the week after we started, withdrawing other sections simply to concentrate on the section we are now running.

"We understand how customers find this silly, but we're keen to persevere with our unique cross-Yorkshire link as we know passengers appreciate the opportunities it creates – especially with the added value of our Wharfedale Links network, which opens up even further destinations.

"We’re really proud of our track record in providing high-quality bus services in Keighley and Yorkshire as a whole.

"It's a shame that other operators don't share our commitment to this kind of quality."