MOSLEY COMMON TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT SURVEY 2008

 

Produced by the Transport Resource Unit at GMCVO,

with assistance from the Mosley Common Community Group,

Wigan Council, Wigan Borough Partnership and GMPTE

 

Summary of issues

From the analysis of the questionnaires and a subsequent meeting with the Mosley Common Residents Association, the following would appear to be the key transport issues currently facing the local community:

• There are no buses serving Mosley Common in the early mornings, evenings or on Sundays and this has an impact on social and economic opportunities. Buses can be accessed via Chaddock Lane but this involves walking some distance over difficult topography and crossing a very busy road. This is not a viable option for much of the local population, a large proportion of which are elderly and/or have mobility issues
• There are no or very limited direct routes to essential services e.g. post office, doctors, hospitals, supermarket, shopping centre, train stations . Comments suggest that Mosley Common is an isolated community - if it was defined as a rural area it would score poorly in relation to access to essential services (defined as ‘lagging’ rural communities). Improved transport connections could address some of these quality of life issues
• There are specific issues relating to recent removal and re-routing of buses, primarily:
  • No. 35 – 20 comments referencing its removal
  • No. 12 – comments regarding re-routing to cushion the removal of No.35 but then re-routed again to no longer serve Mosley Common. 
• Other issues relating to particular bus routes:
• No. 32 – considered ‘unreliable’ and the alternative x34 timetable does allow time to walk from one stop to the other
• No. 33 – stopping at Worsley Courthouse requires a second bus, connections are poor due to unreliability and lack of well lit waiting facilities
• No. 26 – buses not stopping and alleged conduct of drivers
• Issues relating to children travelling to school by bus - frequency, routes, buses not always stopping to pick up children and the cost of travel for school children
• Accessibility (disability and carers with young children) inconsistent even on routes advertised as served by low floor buses
• Overcrowding on trains and lack of connecting buses (particularly since the re-routing of the No. 12, which  used to stop at Walkden station)
• Specific issues relating to door-to-door transport:
• Low awareness of Local Link and Ring and Ride services – promotional leaflets not distributed in the area although surrounding areas receive them
• The new Ring and Ride cross-boundary service needs to be heavily promoted as Mosley Common is on the Salford boundary and residents regularly access services in Salford.

 

FULL REPORT AND APPENDICES