Bus operators have signalled their opposition to efforts by Passenger Focus to become the official representative of both bus and rail users.

The rail consumer watchdog staked its claim to become the new statutory "voice of bus users" following the publication of the Department for Transport's consultation paper on the future of bus user representation last year.

Giving Passenger Focus the job was one of four main options put forward by the consultation paper, Options for Strengthening Bus Passenger Representation, but many in the industry believe that it is the most likely outcome.

The Confederation for Passenger Transport, which represents the bus industry, welcomes the creation of a bus champion but has yet to decide on how to respond to the consultation, which closes on March 17. Passenger Focus chief executive Anthony Smith will present his case to bus operators at a meeting hosted by the CPT on February 18. Smith faces a difficult task to persuade operators that they should support his bid for an expanded role. The UK's two largest bus operators, First Group and Stagecoach, oppose his plans.

Speaking to press at a reception in London this week, Nicola Shaw, managing director of FirstÕs UK bus division, said giving the role of bus champion to Passenger Focus would not help bus users.

Unlike rail, Shaw argued, the issues that effect bus services are mainly local. She believes that the creation of a bus champion with a national focus will divert attention away from what matters. Offering an example, she said: "I fear that we will get drawn into a national discussion on the long term future of BSOG [Bus Service Operators' Grant]."

Shaw's concerns were echoed by Stagecoach. "The expertise of Passenger Focus is almost exclusively in the rail industry, which has a very different business model and structure to the bus industry," a spokesman for the Perth-based group told Transit.

"Buses are locally delivered services provided in the main on a commercial basis, while the railway is a national network that operates on a franchised basis with significant government subsidy."

Although wishing to remain silent, other operators are known to share the concerns of First and Stagecoach. Many would prefer to continue working with Bus Users UK, the industry-funded body which has represented bus passengers for the past 20 years.

The Stagecoach spokesman said: "Bus Users UK has very strong grass-roots support and we see no reason why it cannot continue to represent effectively the interests of passengers. Bus Users UK has had a long-standing independent voice, however the key issue is that it has been funded to date by bus operators. The clear solution is to put Bus Users UK on a statutory basis and ensure it is funded by government."

At next week's meeting, Smith will seek to persuade bus operators that Passenger Focus will play a constructive role, and will also hold PTEs, local authorities and central government to account.

Some in the industry believe that Passenger Focus could offer bus companies a powerful new ally. One industry source said: "Given that most of the inadequacies of modern bus services can be said to be in the hands of local authorities rather than bus operators, one would have thought that the idea of getting passenger representatives in an alliance to pressure local authorities as well would be quite helpful."

In response to concerns about its expertise, Passenger Focus has appointed passenger transport consultancy The TAS Partnership to help maximise its knowledge on the structure and regulation of the bus industry, and on issues affecting UK bus users. Smith said his organisation's aim was to expand its knowledge of the bus industry to help get the best deal for passengers. "Our approach to our work in the rail industry has been to place emphasis on research, to ensure that we know what is happening on the ground," he said.