Bus route change leaves Castleton residents stranded

Rossendale Transport have announced changes to the route of the Castleton 442 circular service which will result in local residents facing a long walk to catch the bus. With effect from Monday 28 July the service will no longer go around the Kirklees Road estate, instead it will go directly into Rochdale after having gone around Leander Drive. The decision means that over 20 senior citizen bungalows on Grant Street will be left without any easily accessible public transport.

The company has informed the transport authority that increased problems with parking around Castleton Primary School is the reason behind their decision to change the route.

Castleton Councillor Peter Davison, a member of the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority, said: "This is a body blow for the many elderly residents who rely on this service to get into town. The service is well used all day long; if parking at the school is an issue why not just amend the timetables to avoid the peak congestion times?

"I have already written to both the company and the PTE to express my concerns about this decision and the absolute lack of consultation that has occurred and am urging local residents to do the same. After all, this isn't the first time the service has been threatened in this way and people power won through last time."