LABOUR’S shadow transport secretary visited Edgworth to campaign for “passenger power” and offer local communities in Edgworth, Chapeltown and Belmont the ability to save crucial bus routes.

Michael Dugher was in the area alongside Will Straw, Labour’s candidate for Rossendale and Darwen.

He said new government figures had revealed that local bus routes in the North West were being slashed by the coalition — with 13 million fewer miles of local services in the region since 2010.

The party believe that bus companies have been cutting crucial routes while increasing fares and is setting out a plan to fix the problems.

Mr Dugher said: "While the bus companies are coining it in, local bus routes in North West are being slashed and this Government says everything is fine.

"The bus market is clearly broken and the way local services are provided is not fit for purpose.

“Labour will stand up for passengers by changing the way things work to hand all English regions London-style powers over local bus services — this will ensure communities get the local bus services they need."

The party said this plan would be carried out by giving local regions the ability to determine routes, set fares and integrate bus services with other forms of public transport.

Mr Straw, who is hoping to unseat Conservative candidate Jake Berry in the May vote, said: "The residents of Edgworth — particularly older people — have every right to a regular bus service connecting them to Bolton.

"Local bus services are the lifelines of our communities. So it was deeply worrying that government cuts have led to a commercial decision by Arriva to terminate the 537 service in 2013.

"There is plenty of money in Britain's bus system but bus companies tend to hoard it for themselves rather than cross-subsidising less profitable routes in rural areas. Labour would put an end to this and help maintain bus routes for our villages like Edgworth, Chapeltown and Belmont."

The full list of candidates for Rossendale and Darwen is Afzal Anwar, Liberal Democrat; Clive Balchin, UKIP; Jake Berry, Conservative; Shaun Hargreaves,The Northern Party; Karen Pollard-Rylance, Green; Kevin Scranage, Independent; Will Straw, Labour; and Simon Thomas Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition.