Villages victims of bus changes

A FURIOUS councillor claims Saddleworth will become an “outback” when major bus service changes are made later this month.

Slamming bus operators for a lack of consultation, Oldham councillor John McCann - who lives in Dobcross - said: “How can a poor service be reduced any more? It’s a disgrace. Diggle would have one bus an hour.”

Under the proposals, due to be determined on Friday, changes October 28 would reduce the 180 service to Greenfield to once an hour during the day, Monday to Saturday; reduce the 184 Manchester to Uppermill service from four times and hour to only three, with a once-hourly extension to Huddersfield via Diggle.

The service to Grotton will increase from six an hour to eight an hour, Monday-Saturday daytimes.

Service 81A will be extended from Waterhead to Holts Estate via Stamford Road, Lees Village and Lees New Road, every 20 minutes.

The 415 will be withdrawn between Oldham and Holts Estate.

The 350 service will be diverted to serve Greenacres Road instead of Huddersfield Road and the 64 service will be halved, from 30 minutes to once an hour between Middleton and Oldham via Royton.

The local link service to Denshaw will continue after April, 2013.

Councillor McCann declared: “These reductions defy common sense; they will put more cars on the road hunting for parking spaces. Even more hurtful will be the restrictions inflicted on the most vulnerable, whose social network and access to doctors, chemists, library and local shops will be restricted even more.”


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