Heywood’s door-to-door bus service keeps on running

A door-to-door bus service in Heywood will continue to run for another three years following a decision by transport bosses today (7 August).

Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority (GMITA) has agreed to continue funding Heywood’s ‘Local Link’ service for another three years, with the option of a further two years if it continues to be a success.

Members of the Authority’s Bus Network and GMPTE Services Committee also approved some key changes to the service, including a new operating area. The expanded area now includes Pilsworth Industrial Estate in the west, Fairfield General Hospital and Hooley Bridge in the north, Sandbrook Retail Park and Castleton Rail Station in the east, and Lane End and Birch Services in the south.

Anyone living within the operating area can use the service. Passengers just ring up the booking line at least one hour before travelling to be collected from home and go anywhere in the operating area.

Councillor David White, Chairman of the Bus Network and GMPTE Services Committee, said: “Local Link provides essential connections to healthcare, jobs, recreation and other public transport services.

“It’s proven to be a real success in Heywood and we’ve had some very positive feedback from passengers, so I’m delighted we’re going to continue supporting it.

“The changes to the service have been led directly by how passengers use it, so we are confident that we are concentrating our resources on the most important and popular journeys.”

The Heywood service has been operating since 2002 and has continued to grow in popularity. Around 33,700 journeys were made on it last year.

In direct response to shift patterns at Pilsworth Industrial Estate, the service operates from 5.30am to 11pm, Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm on Saturdays, and from 9am to 11pm on Sundays and bank holidays.

In September 2008, GMPTE commissioned research into what kinds of trips passengers make on the service, and to monitor satisfaction levels with the service.

The survey found that 36% of trips were to hospital, 32% were for recreation and 19% were to and from work. Satisfaction levels were extremely high, with 92% of the passengers surveyed either very satisfied or fairly satisfied with the service.

More than 30 Local Link services already run throughout Greater Manchester, offering door-to-door transport in the areas where it is needed most.

To book a journey on Heywood Local Link, call 08456 05 55 05. For more information about the service, log on to www.gmpte.com/locallink.