Mr Mallon is to meet bus company chiefs

Middlesbrough's high-profile mayor Ray Mallon, condemned the actions of some bus operators, which he claimed were failing public transport users.

He was responding to specific concerns of residents in the Marton area of Middlesbrough, who had complained about services of bus and rail firms.

Mr Mallon said bus operators were putting profits before people and vowed to meet company chiefs to pressure them into changing their approach.

Bus and rail operator Arriva is the first company to agree to meet Mr Mallon to discuss his concerns.

Discuss concerns

More than 100 people attended the first in a series of public meetings called to thrash out public transport issues.

Mr Mallon said: "The operators are only interested in one thing, and that is profits.

"They should be interested in the people they serve a lot more.

"I will say this to the bus companies, they are going to have to change their ways.

"We need assistance from them across the board and we need to engage them politically and I intend to do that."

Liz Hurst, commercial director for Arriva North East, who was at the public meeting, said she would be meeting Mr Mallon soon to hear his concerns.

She said: "We are very happy to meet with the mayor and work together over these issues."