A REDUCTION in the 407 bus services between Denshaw and Oldham will take effect from next month.
The 407 service on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays will no longer run at 6.30pm from Oldham to Denshaw or 6.55pm from Denshaw to Oldham after 3 April 2016.
A spokesperson for Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) confirmed: “We regularly review how many passengers are using subsidised bus services.
“Recent passenger surveys showed very few people travel on the last Sunday or Bank Holiday Monday service on the 407 route and so the 6.30pm bus from Oldham to Denshaw and the 6.55pm bus from Denshaw to Oldham will no longer run from 3 April 2016.
“Monitoring service use in this way and making minor changes enables TfGM to help more people remain connected to family, friends, jobs, health and leisure opportunities via public transport and helps to achieve value for money.”
The spokesperson added there are currently no plans to cancel any subsidised bus services in Saddleworth.
But Saddleworth Parish Councillor Katrina Roman hopes the cuts do not eventually lead to more reductions which could leave the small village isolated.
She said: “I’m relieved to hear the bus isn’t being entirely axed.
“But I do fear cutting the times of this service, albeit only one trip at the moment, will mean other times will eventually be cut too and as a village out on a limb.
“This means you’re reliant purely on being able to drive. This is limiting for teenagers and adults alike. An already isolated village would be cut off for anyone without a car.
“There’s no hope of a greener future when you’re reliant on driving and the need for everyone to have a car has a huge impact on congestion, parking and pollution.
“I’m going to attend the Parish Council transport sub committee meetings to see if we can ensure the maintenance of this vital service in the long run.”
Which bus will replace the 407 and how often will they run