Transport bosses say they are addressing issues with the Leigh Guided Busway after the 'flagship' bus service came under criticism last month. Passengers have been complaining of long waits and limited services.
Extra buses have been added to address issues in Ellenbrook, but congestion caused by roadworks on the A6 in Salford is still slowing down the service. It comes as the V2, which runs from Atherton to Manchester via Tyldesley and Salford, remains as a reduced service compared to before the pandemic.
However, speaking at a bus services committee on Friday (October 7), Wigan councillor John Vickers said it should be brought back to pre-Covid levels. He said: "This was put forward as a flagship provision.
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"The service to Manchester city centre is less than perfect from most parts of Wigan borough."
Ian Humphreys, managing director of First Manchester which runs Vantage buses, said the company has been reacting to timetable issues as they arise. But he refuted claims that the company makes 'vast profits' from the service, explaining that it runs the route for Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
Nick Roberts from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said officials are monitoring passenger numbers on a weekly basis and reacting accordingly. He said the roadworks at the Broad Street and Frederick Road junction in Salford are causing a 'bunching effect' with buses stuck in traffic on the A6.
But he said this congestion problem should 'subside' in the next week or so. He added: "We need to make this service work because it's our flagship."
Salford councillor Roger Jones told the committee that the regular complaints that he had been receiving about the Guided Busway have stopped recently. The bus services sub-committee also approved some changes to the network at its meeting last week, including a review of the services TfGM subsidises.
However, Coun Vickers raised concerns about the withdrawal of the 595 service from Hindley to Leigh which currently operates on Sundays only. He asked for the rerouted 583 service to be extended to Hindley Green.
Representatives from TfGM said they would sit down with Coun Vickers to see if any changes can be made to this subsidised service to address his concerns.
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