SO, people have now struggled with Blackburn's "Cinderella" bus service (12a and 12c) for a week. Practically everyone I have spoken to passionately dislikes the change.

Older people are daunted by the extra journeys they will need to make to get enough stuff home, as carrying weight for the extra distance is impossible.

The middle group have been made conscious of the increased effort, reduced energy and breathlessness on reaching the terminus: "Too far."

Youngsters may welcome the chance to hang about longer in town - I don't know.

But I feel for commuters having to gamble on whether their bus will already have gone, leaving a choice of a taxi or the evening bus service.

Is this appropriate to a century which aims to achieve an integrated bus and train service?

Or is there a message in the bus company's reference to us as "customers" rather than "passengers?" The use of "passengers" presupposes commitment to our needs, whereas "customers" perhaps implies an element of choice that may be ignored - and the hope we'll just disappear.

HILDA M SALTER, Leamington Road, Blackburn.