A company has stepped in to save Crawley's axe-threatened bus routes.

Metrobus, part of the Go-Ahead group, will take over from March 31, the day the present operator Arriva quits the town.

Pensioners' groups have welcomed the move and many will be delighted by news that the new operator plans to continue running a concessionary fare scheme agreed by Crawley Council.

Arriva Southern Counties, which operates 85 per cent of local buses, is pulling out because it says council plans to adjust concessionary fares would hit the viability of services.

Metrobus spokesman Andrew Wickham said the firm was in a better position than Arriva to make the service a commercial success because it could integrate the service with its other operations in the area.

Metrobus' parent company Go-Ahead has a base at Godstone and already runs bus services in the Gatwick area. It runs Gatwick Direct and Gatwick Handling services and the Thameslink rail network.

Mr Wickham said: "We have finished our discussions with West Sussex County Council and Crawley Borough Council which have been very productive and we are going to introduce a commercial bus network in Crawley from March 31, the last day Arriva will be operating.

"We are confident we can make it viable and we will be continuing with the concessionary fares, which Crawley Council specified, subject to finalising this with the council."

Crawley Age Concern's service manager Judy Maiden said many pensioners and volunteers would be delighted.

She said: "A lot of people were worried we would be left without a service, or that new operators would abandon concessionary fares.

"This will be a relief to many people in the town. "