A BUS company is reassuring residents it is unlikely to axe a route when speed humps are installed.

Work is underway on a £130,000 scheme to create 46 speed humps and a 20mph zone in the accident-plagued Brazley Avenue and Claypool Road areas of Horwich.

But the Claypool and Brazley residents associations feared it could lead a bus operator to pull out of the 576 route, which serves the estate, leaving elderly residents stranded without a bus service.

Arriva currently runs the route but the Tyrer Bus company is due to take over the route later this month.

Residents feared that because Tyrer had not been consulted - and because bus companies are generally opposed to speed humps - the route could be under threat.

And Tyrer's operations director Gary Hawthorne said: "We have not been informed or consulted about the traffic calming scheme, which is quite alarming.

"However, we appreciate that speed humps are becoming more common and we can work around it. It is unlikely that a bus would be withdrawn because of speed humps."

Residents accept there is a need for something to improve road safety for the estate but believe yellow lines and more footpaths would be more beneficial.

In a joint statement, Ken Whowell, of Claypool residents association, and Jim Smith, of Brazley residents association, said: "We have to ensure we get it right as the residents have to live with the results. This project doesn't take into account actual safety enhancement suggestions, but instead thinks humps will solve everything."

There were eight accidents on the two roads between 2002 and 2004, leaving nine people injured.

Five of the injured were children, four who had been walking and one riding a bike.

Cllr Nick Peel, Bolton Council's executive member for the environment, said: "GMPTA organises the tender for buses and I don't know of any routes that have been stopped because of road humps. There is usually another reason, for example if it is not financially viable.

"As for the footpaths, I agree that this would be beneficial for safety and we are looking at securing funding for this."