OAPs high and dry over station leak
Reporter: ANDREW RUDKIN
Date published: 18 August 2011
PENSIONERS claim they are being washed out of Oldham town centre following a major water burst.
A large section of Oldham bus station has been closed for almost seven weeks resulting from a mains leak.
The closure has since caused a wave of elderly people refusing to use the bus, because of far-away relocated stops.
Eugene Bamforth (80), of Manchester Street, Oldham, has collected almost a hundred names on a petition complaining about the length of time of the work.
He said: “A lot of elderly people have been affected by this, because they need to come into the town centre to get their shopping.
“But they cannot get around with the alternative stops being too far away. I can just about get around, but I had a hip operation recently.
“This has been going on for too long, with nearby businesses also suffering.
“One lady, aged 92, now refuses to go to a cafe, which she has been going to for years and years, because she can’t walk all the way from Oldham Baths, in Lord Street.”
The water main burst on July 1.
Buses have been running from temporary stops while United Utilities work to fix the problem.
A spokesman from Transport for Greater Manchester said: “United Utilities dug up the whole carriageway within the bus station.
“It was closed off as the bus station has to have specially reinforced concrete, which takes a longer time to install and dry out.”
But there is good news: the bus station is due to reopen on Monday.
Relocated stops:
::Rochdale Road outside Oldham College: 408 & 428 (Buckstones) 409 (Rochdale).
::West Street bus station: 350 (Ashton) from stand L, 406 (Mills Hill) from stand L, 402 (Royton) from stand J.
::Main Oldham bus station: 407 (Denshaw) now departing from stand B, 343 (Hyde) now departing from Stand F.
::Lord Street (outside Oldham swimming baths) or Manchester Street (outside Aldi Supermarket): 81 (Derker) 81a (Waterhead) 82 (Waterhead/Uppermill) 83 (Sholver).
::Lord Street (outside Oldham swimming baths): 180 (Greenfield) 184 (Uppermill and Huddersfield).
