BUS passengers heading between Skipton, Barnoldswick, Colne and Burnley will from this week be travelling on the new hourly ‘Pendle Wizz’.

From Monday, the orange and purple Pendle Wizz buses, replaced the old Witchway buses. Witchway buses, with their familiar Pendle Witch motif, will continue to run from Burnley onto Manchester, with Pendle Wizz passengers switching buses at Burnley Bus Station.

Alex Hornby, chief executive of the Burnley Bus Company, said: “We want our buses to be places people want to be seen in, with a bright and friendly image which stands out and attracts new customers, as well as those who already choose to travel with us.

“We planned our new Pendle Wizz service to stay out of the unpredictable traffic congestion in Manchester which affected the reliability of the Witchway, especially before the lockdown – meaning that our local customers along the new Pendle Wizz route can look forward to a more reliable service, seven days a week.

“As more people return to work and traffic levels increase, it’s vitally important that we take every opportunity to make sure our buses continue to be as reliable as they can be. Our customers tell us that an on-time service is the most important requirement.

“We’re also keeping many of the things our customers love, including the fast non-stop route along the M65 and the same great team of drivers based at our Queensgate depot in Burnley, who are all very much looking forward to welcoming everyone on board the new Pendle Wizz from Monday.”

Offers include a Barnoldswick to Skipton ticket, which includes travel on all Transdev buses from Skipton for £4.50 a day, or £24 per week.