Dove Stone Reservoir
Saddleworth Parish Councillors have expressed concern over the lack of people using the tourist bus to Dove Stone Reservoir. One councillor told Monday night’s meeting of the council that “every bus that has gone past has been absolutely empty.”
The Parish Council is funding the Saddleworth Hopper bus, which runs in a loop between Greenfield Station, Uppermill and Dove Stone on Saturdays and Sundays. It came into service last month, but several councillors pointed out that few people had been using it.
Greenfield-based Cllr John Hudson said every bus he’d seen going past his house had been “absolutely empty.” He added, “People are stopping me saying it’s a waste of money. People are just going on the normal bus to the Clarence. I do hope it does improve.”
Cllr Derek Heffernan said he had been on the first service last month, but admitted he was one of only three people on it, one of whom was a trainee driver. He told the meeting, “It is an absolutely super service… It if gets the passengers it’s money well spent, if it doesn’t get the passengers it won’t be.”
Cllr Ken Hulme said the bus was a “brave effort.” He suggested the recent poor weather may have been a factor in low visitor numbers, and said he thought the bus was still a good idea: “You’ve got to experiment, take a chance, push the boat out a bit.”
Several councillors agreed that a lack of publicity was a problem. Cllr Brian Lord said: “If you don’t live in Saddleworth you’d have no idea this thing was operating.” He called for large signs to go up advertising the park and ride facility at the Saddleworth Rangers car park on Shaw Hall Bank Road.
Cllr Barbara Beeley told the meeting she had already asked Oldham Council about signs, adding that the process was “ongoing.” She added that it would help if local people were made aware that they too can hop on and hop off the bus, and that it offers a more direct service than the regular bus.
The bus leaves from near Greenfield Station 12 times a day each weekend, starting at 10:55am on Saturdays and 11:10am on Sundays, to tie in with the train timetables. The bus is scheduled to run until 26 September, and it’s free for anyone with a valid bus or rail ticket to Saddleworth, and for the over 60s. For everyone else the fare is £1 per day.
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