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Bus passengers hit by double whammy
Reporter: KEN BENNETT
Date online: 22 June 2009
A transport expert has attacked a bus company for “chopping off” part of a valuable passenger route and forcing passengers to pay twice.
Councillor Richard Knowles, blasted First Bus the operator which launched its £3.5 million investment in 21 new, state of the art double deck buses, on its 82 and 83 services, in a blaze of publicity.
He has been joined by Councillors Barbara Beeley and Linda Dawson who are demanding a return to the old 82 service seven days a week.
Councillor Knowles, Oldham’s representative on the integrated transport authority, said: “ First bus has chopped Waterhead off this route because it can make more profit using the buses on other routes.
“Not only are passengers between Waterhead bus terminus and Hill Stores forced to change buses in Oldham, often waiting for over 30 minutes, but they also have to pay twice for this worse service.
“The 82 from Waterhead bus terminus to Oldham and Manchester has run for donkeys years. Hundreds of people depend on it.
“It is another example of what happens with bus deregulation, which, since 1986, has given private bus companies power to decide bus routes, frequencies and fares. It leaves local councils, and passengers, with no say,” he declared.
Councillor Knowles has complained directly to the bus company asking it to revert to the old service. “Up to now, First bus has refused but enough public pressure may get it to reconsider.”
Lees and Saddleworth champion, Councillor Beeley, said: “It now turns up Ripponden Road at Hill Stores which leaves the top of Waterhead Ward and the Turner Street area without a frequent and regular service.”
Claire Johnson, commercial manager for First in Manchester, said: “ We will continue to monitor the situation and are currently reviewing Sundays to see if there is scope to improve the service provision to and from Waterhead.”
Comments
This is typical of First Manchester, they also promised that there would be an improvement in 180 / 184 service, but it is still the worst service in their fleet.
They also run a so called "customer care" service, but NEVER reply to any e-mails or telephone calls.
If there are less bus routes then maybe they can get rid of those useless and often empty bus lanes on Huddersfield Road.
Having said that, it baffles me as to why they are getting rid of the 82 route on a Sunday. It's been one of the main routes since I was a kid, and once again Firstbus show absolutely no regard to the people who actually use their services.
How will pupils get to the new academy then? Doh ! Didn't think about that Ms Knox?
Hang on a minute the only passengers that should be complaining about having their services cut it the people travelling to Derker as the 81 service has been halved so that it can travel to Waterhead. I think timetables need to be looked at before the Waterhead people start going on about their services being cut.
so now thats yet another reduction in services along huddersfield road?
no need for those pointless bus lanes that pass tesco all the way up to waterhead then?
To all the whingers complaining about the bus routes. When the emergency services can't get to your house in rush hour because there is no room on the road, you can think about how useful it would be to have a clear additional route they could have used saving vital minutes which may saves lives.
So the quality bus corridors that labour bleeted on about have failed. Profit or what issue here, taxpayers paid not just in car tax but council tax and a private company makes the decissions
OldhamWatcher I don't know what planet you are on or what medication you are taking but clearly you have no sense of reality.
A reducation in public transport can only have one outcome - an increase in traffic on the road, so when "there is no room on the road, you can think about how useful it would be to have a clear additional route they could have used saving vital minutes which may saves lives"
OldhamWatcher huddersfield road flowed perfectly well before the introduction of the bus lanes! emergency services are limited to the speed limit, they cannot exceed it. they are actually held up for longer because of the bottle necks caused by the traffic having to merge into just one lane! i've seen it happen many times along there.
Have Your Say
..bus deregulation, which, since 1986,..leaves local councils, and passengers, with no say,...
Correct - but it's worth remembering that the 'death knell' for local bus services and a local say, was sounded as long ago as 1967 when Wilson's govt. decided to regionalise the buses. By the time of deregulation, owing to failed top-heavy bureaucracy - which is always the Labour way - bus transport was a basket case.
By A G H @ 22/06/2009 12:06:52