6:14pm Sunday 4th May 2008
By Cherry Thomas
A BUS company is investigating a complaint that three drivers were smoking on one of its vehicles.
Smoker Rebecca Hill, aged 16, said she spotted the men lighting up on a bus at Farnworth bus station on Friday.
She said: "It annoyed me to see them doing it because you are not allowed to smoke on buses."
Smoking in work vehicles was outlawed when the ban on lighting up in public places was introduced last year.
Miss Hill, of Daisy Hall Drive, Daisy Hill, had been heading to Bolton library with her friend William Kendall, aged 18.
They were on their bus waiting for it to leave the station at around 2.30pm on Friday, when they spotted the three drivers sitting on a nearby vehicle smoking.
The Vale of Manchester bus company, which owns the vehicle, said it was a crew relief vehicle that staff can use at meal times and can be used for transportation.
Ken Dawson, general manager of Vale of Manchester, said: "It may or may not be used in service.
"However, the rules still apply on this vehicle and they shouldn't have been smoking on it."
The firm says it will investigate the matter and Mr Dawson added: "If it's true then they are not alllowed to do it.
"Our inspector needs to monitor to see if that is what is going on."
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