Councillor Gartside hopes bus changes could eventually be reversed

Councillor James Gartside

Conservative councillor for Norden Jim Gartside is hoping that imminent changes to bus services in Norden could eventually be reversed after writing to Transport for Greater Manchester about the alterations.

Residents in Norden were left unhappy after it was announced that the popular 444 service, which goes from Norden Village to Rochdale town centre via Edenfield Road and Spotland Road, was due to be scrapped and replaced by a new 442 service.

Councillor Gartside said of the changes: “Quite a lot of people in Norden use that bus to go to the doctors on Edenfield Road or Spotland Road, and if people can’t get there, that makes it extremely awkward.

“I have written to Transport for Greater Manchester about these changes. They have responded to say it’s too late to change it now, but that they will look into it in the future. I’m hopeful that they might change it back at some point, but getting the timing right is the difficult bit.”

Further bus changes in Norden will see the 443 and 445 services combine to become one new service.

Councillor Gartside added: “Unfortunately, it’s better to keep it on a longer journey time than it would be to lose it altogether. At least we are keeping it – that’s really important.”

A spokesperson for Rosso Transport, the operator for all services mentioned, said: “The changes have been done in conjunction with Transport for Greater Manchester to make the service in that area more viable. The service couldn’t continue in its current form."

On the lack of direct services to doctors’ surgeries, the spokesperson added: “There were very few people making those journeys. The changes have been made to make the services more efficient and so that the buses will be better utilised.”

Minor changes will apply to the 468 service, which goes from Rochdale to Bury via Bagslate Moor Road, whilst the 461 service from Norden Village to Bury via Heywood appears to be unaffected.

All changes will come into effect from Sunday 4 September.