Councillor calls for rethink on bus service change

Kirkholt Councillor Dale Mulgrew

A Kirkholt Councillor has expressed his concern over the decision to merge the buses that operate on the Kirkholt estate.

The number 6 and number 7 services have been serving the Kirkholt Estate for a number of years. First Bus currently operates both services. However, the services changed on Sunday (24 October 2010). The 6 and 7 have been merged, with a new Service 6 running on a 10 minute frequency.

The new route is similar to the previous services but buses no longer directly serve the top part of Hill Top Drive or Hogarth Road.

On hearing the concerns from residents Councillor Dale Mulgrew has written to the bus company’s area manager in Oldham calling for a rethink.

In his letter Councillor Mulgrew asks for clarification on what the proposals will mean for Kirkholt bus users, and has queried whether the new route will still serve all the areas that the current bus services cover.

Councillor Mulgrew said: “There is a great deal of confusion about what the proposals will actually mean for bus users who live across Kirkholt.

“A lot of the Kirkholt estate residents rely on public transport for their transportation and mobility, and the bus services are well used and very loyally supported.”

“I note that the First Bus Company may have to reduce the volume of services that it provides for the estate. If this is inevitable, then it makes more sense to retain both bus routes, but on a less frequent basis. This would provide a better continuity of service and mean that all previous areas will still be able to access a bus.”

A spokesperson for First Bus said: “We can confirm that we have made some changes to Service 6 and 7, merging the two routes to form a new Service 6. The new service provides a 10 minute frequency Monday - Saturday and, having been slightly re-routed, covers almost all the streets previously served by Service 7. We would like to take this opportunity to reassure passengers that, despite the changes, buses will still serve the area, running regularly to and from Rochdale.”