First Manchester

[SF07]

RE: First Manchester

(06/10/2013 20:41)jimbo Wrote:  @SF07 with the 180 being commercial, i dont blame them for reducing frequency, if more people used it there woukd be more per hour, they can always walk to the top of the hill and get the 184, or catch the 350 to town

I think the problem there is that there are quite a few elderly people in the Saddleworth area who may not have the ability of walking up the hill (pretty steep walking up from Tesco to Greenfield railway station). But, as you said, it is a commercial service and First obviously didn't see fit a half-hourly 180 service.

I think at the time of the change when the 180 was reduced last October, First's response was saying that the 350 still was half-hourly and provided a link to Oldham, along with a connection at Greenfield railway station or Uppermill for the 184.

In the link from the previous post, there is a suggestion from a retired Lib Dem councillor who said First could restore the half-hourly link by extending one of the buses from Grotton or have an extra bus that terminates at Oldham, although I can't see First adopting either. If an extra bus extended from Grotton, you probably would have to run the current 180 as a 184 to Uppermill and then extend two of the Grotton buses to Greenfield, which was result in 25-30 minute waits for buses at either Grotton or Greenfield.