Bus cuts spark isolation fear

Bus service 184 pictured on Huddersfield Road in Diggle.

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SADDLEWORTH community leaders have blasted cuts to bus services they say will leave some villagers isolated.

First Bus are making changes to the 184 from Monday, July 25, with the service no longer terminating at Diggle or operating via Dobcross.

Saddleworth Labour Party condemned the cuts saying it will increase the isolation of people in the villages.

They point out that it follows the curtailing of the 353 Ashton to Delph service, which now terminates in Dobcross, the changes over the last few years to the 350 service, which mean the last bus from Oldham is now 10.25pm ­- some 25 minutes earlier than it once was ­- and the already poor service to Denshaw.

A spokesman said: "The bus services in Saddleworth are being gradually eroded, we need a thorough review of the situation with a view to providing a good service between Saddleworth villages and linking the area to the surrounding towns. There also needs to be proper connections with trains at Greenfield."

Saddleworth parish councillor, Paul Fryer, said: " The prospective Labour candidates for Greater Manchester Mayor are all committed to developing an integrated transport system with better fare options including an Oyster-style card. Labour councillors and candidates in Saddleworth will take every opportunity to press for this to be implemented."

He added that cutbacks to services to Saddleworth, particularly in the evening, will make access to the new cinema complex in Oldham's old town hall, for residents who do not have access to a car, more difficult and make evening trips to Manchester virtually impossible by public transport.

Mark Brooks, chair of Diggle Community Association, said: "This decision will have a serious impact on the community.

"The service into Diggle is a lifeline for many residents, particularly the elderly, who do not have access to car transport and rely on it to visit the shops or keep in touch with friends.

"This is yet another example of putting cost before conscience."

And Pam Rose, chair of Dobcross Village Community's executive, declared: "It's ridiculous with no longer any buses coming through the centre of Dobcross other than the 354 and 353.

"Villagers use the bus regularly to go to college, hospital and school. We need links to get to those places as not everyone drives."

Ward councillor Garth Harkness, said: "It is greatly disappointing the service in Diggle is again being halved.

"In the centre of Dobcross the bus service link to Oldham and Manchester is removed completely.

"It becomes unworkable for those who use it to travel to work or college or to go shopping or travel by train.

"The bus should be a service and not just about chasing profit. Under the Greater Manchester transport review the vision is for an integrated transport network ­- but this takes us a step backwards."

Royce Franklin, chair of the traffic and transport sub-committee for Saddleworth and Lees, said: "While it is very disappointing to learn of the loss of the second bus per hour during the day for Diggle and the direct link to Manchester for Dobcross customers is understandable.

"First Bus, the providers, are a commercial concern and are subject to their shareholders. There is a bill scheduled to go before Parliament which means buses will be run as demanded by local authorities as they are in London.

"Until then services such as the 184 service for Diggle will continue to be subject to change which is not in the best interest of the locals."

First general manager for Oldham and Tameside depots, Ian Hulse, said: "There will be no significant changes to the journeys operating between Manchester and Huddersfield via Uppermill and Diggle or to the journeys that terminate at Uppermill.

"Unfortunately however, due to low passenger demand most of the journeys that currently terminate at Diggle and operate via Dobcross will be curtailed at Grotton.

"Diggle will continue to be linked with Manchester, Oldham and Uppermill every hour by the journeys on service 184 that operate to/from Huddersfield. Dobcross will be continue to be served by services 353/4 providing links to Uppermill.

"There will be no significant change to service 180 that will continue to operate every 30 minutes. First would like to apologise if these changes cause any inconvenience."