Lack of bus service to Wigan borough town rocks businesses recovering from Covid

Atherton used to have four direct bus services to Manchester before the Leigh Guided Busway was brought in back in 2017; now it has none – except for peak times.

The bus service, operated by First, was hailed by business owners in the centre initially as the V2 literally brought people to their front doors, but now “due to lack of usage” it has been left in a reduced capacity. Transport for Greater Manchester conducted surveys on October 18, 19 and 20 on the replacement shuttle bus and found “there was low demand”.

This meant that the V2 would continue to run at peak times only and a shuttle bus would take people from the centre of Atherton to the nearest guided busway stop.

Rachael Flaszczak, who runs The Snug Coffee House on Market Street, said: “I have noticed that we have seen a drop in ticket sales [for music events] and there are some people who’ve bought tickets and not turned up. When we asked them why they said they couldn’t get the bus here like they originally thought.

“We praised the service when it came out as it dropped people off outside on Market Street. We have had bands travel from Manchester on the V2 with all their equipment.”

The 45-year-old explained that when the full service was running at off peak times she saw ‘bus loads of people’ get off and enjoy the nightlife scene in Atherton before coming to one of their music events. Many of their punters were from the central Manchester area who came due to the convenience of the V2 bus.

Nick Roberts, TfGM’s Head of Bus Services and Commercial Development, said: “The Vantage V1 and V2 services that operate along the guided busway provide a quality experience for the thousands of people who use them each day. We recently added three extra V1 services in response to increased demand and, following concerns regarding performance and punctuality, deployed staff onto Vantage services to get a better understanding of the issues.

“We acknowledge that there remain some frustrations about the reduced timetable – introduced in response to low demand – but based on passenger counts and conversations with those using the service, we do not believe there is currently sufficient demand to warrant the reintroduction of a through service at the present time, and that this resource is best used to sustain the busy part of the route elsewhere. We are also aware that some services have also experienced delays, which have largely been caused by roadworks.

“We will continue to monitor the performance and patronage of both services and will take steps, working with the operator, to respond accordingly should this position change. We are also of course happy to meet with business owners and discuss any concerns they may have.”

Coun Stuart Gerrard, Independent Network’s representative for Atherton, is also a bus driver by trade and explained that passenger numbers would be low on a service that is unreliable and they will find another way to travel like using the car – what the service was introduced to stop people doing. Coun Gerrard has been campaigning for the return of the full V2 service and believes another company should be brought in if First aren’t up to it.

“From my experience if the service isn’t frequent and unreliable then people will use the car,” he said. “The issue is the V2 replaced four direct services to Manchester with no need to change buses.

“This has forced more users to use their own car which adds to congestion. Before Covid the service was well used, in fact we were asking TfGMfor a dedicated park and ride as so many were using the shopper’s car park for the V2.

“The only way we will find out if the service is still well used is to bring it back to full service as per the contract both TfGM and first have. If first can’t deliver that, then a different operator who can run the service at full capacity should be found.”

Coun Gerrard and business owners want this back because this has impacted on all the businesses in the centre who saw a boom after the guided busway came in, Rachael explained. After getting back on their feet following the pandemic, the cost of living crisis has kicked in and the off peak service has taken footfall with it, in the mind of many businesses in the area.

“Most people I know used the bus service, my son even used it to go to college in Salford,” Rachael continued. “He used to get it from near our street but now it’s quicker for him to walk further away to get the V1 instead.

“It has had a big impact on a lot of people. It is having a big impact on all the businesses in Atherton.

“Everyone is still trying to build up again after the pandemic.”

Rachael, who also owns Hey Ho Let’s Sew haberdashery in the town, is worried this will serve a blow to numbers attending their Christmas markets that start on December 10. An annual tradition that had started to attract people from further afield, Rachael claimed.

A spokesperson for First Manchester said: “We are working closely with Transport for Greater Manchester to monitor passenger levels and review services based on demand. Roadworks in the city have added to traffic congestion. We are doing all we can to manage this but understand it is frustrating for customers and appreciate their patience.”