COMMUTERS suffered another disrupted journey today as drivers from one of the town's biggest bus operators walked out.

It was the third time in recent weeks that Stagecoach Ribble drivers have called industrial action, with this latest strike coming just a week after the last.

Pickets were expected to man lines at the company's Folds Road depot in Bolton throughout the day.

Early morning commuters were again left stranded at bus stops after none of the company's Bolton scheduled services took to the road.

But Bolton pupils were still able to get to their lessons after the company confirmed school services would not be affected.

The escalation in industrial action has come after drivers rejected a revised pay deal hammered out between union bosses and the company's management.

Last Monday up to 150 drivers from the Folds Road depot walked out in support of the second strike. Support for the third day of industrial action was expected to be similar.

Angry passengers last week complained that no posters had been placed in Stagecoach Ribble buses, warning of any impending strikes.

And this morning a Stagecoach Ribble spokesman said that no posters had been placed in vehicles to warn townsfolk of the third day of disruption.

He added: "As soon as we knew of the strike we sent press releases to all the local media. We feel this is the most reliable way of getting the message to customers. Posters can go missing from buses."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.