Building work prevents buses stopping in hospital grounds

Buses should be able to stop and let people get on and off again when major building work is completed at the Royal Oldham Hospital.

A bus passenger complained that the 402 Royton circular bus run by Bluebird was prevented from picking people up or dropping them off, even though it runs through the hospital grounds. He added: “That seems a complete waste of time.

“I recently helped an elderly couple to walk to the entrance after they had to get off on Rochdale Road, even though the bus passed the hospital entrance.”

Major building work is under way including the creation of the Oldham Cancer Centre at the hospital.

And a spokesman for the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority said: “A number of bus services access the grounds to turn. However, building work within the hospital grounds is limiting space.

“If a bus was to stop within the grounds it would cause traffic congestion and potentially delay ambulances, which would be unacceptable.

“When building work is complete, GMPTE will examine whether bus services can be introduced at a safe and convenient location within the grounds.”