POLITICIANS, campaigners and residents have criticised a bus company after it announced a raft of changes to its services.

They say First is ignoring the needs of its customers following a decision by the firm to alter a number of services into Bolton town centre from Sunday.

The changes will mean that the number 68 bus which currently runs between Bolton, Farnworth and the Trafford Centre, will now only run from Farnworth to the Trafford Centre and will not service the town centre.

The bus will continue to run every half hour from Monday to Saturday daytimes and on the hour in evenings, Sundays and Bank Holidays.

The other major change is the scrapping of the daytime 571, 572 and circular services, which run between Bolton and Great Lever.

These will be amalgamated with the 519 to form a new 520 service which is being extended to Johnson Fold.

But campaigners have pointed out that on the inbound journey from Great Lever to Bolton, these services will not call at Bolton Railway Station or the Trinity Street and Blackhorse Street areas — which are used by residents wanting to shop at Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.

The bus is instead being re-routed to travel through Fletcher Street to Deane Road and directly onto the Moor Lane bus station.

The company says it is introducing a new service and that the changes will help customers get into the town centre in a 'more efficient way.'

Transport campaigner Preva Crossley, from Great Lever, said: “These changes will cause inconvenience both for shoppers and to passengers arriving at Bolton Railway Station, since the outbound services to Johnson Fold will not serve the Interchange.

He was joined in his criticism of the changes by Bolton Council’s cabinet member for transport, Cllr David Chadwick, who spoke out against the plan at last week’s Transport for Greater Manchester committee meeting — when they were first announced.

He said: “Public transport should be available for people who are unable to have their own transport.

“I would say that the people of Bolton are losing out — First are ignoring their clientele and making a lot of people who are already disadvantaged even more disadvantaged.

“I am not against the principle of companies trying to run services efficiently to make a profit — that is what they have to do, but I have to question the motives of First with these decisions because this is a public service.

He added: “I am deeply unhappy about the situation — I just don’t think First have thought this through properly.”

The planned changes to the 68 service have prompted local residents, supported by councillors, to launch a petition.

Brenda Davis, who set up the petition, is a daily user of the 68 service, she said: “We really need a bus to travel the route of Plodder Lane as the 68 bus does. People travel with heavy shopping and in bad weather it’s not good to have to walk a long way to home from another bus stop.

“I am collecting signatures for a petition against the ending of a bus route here and the petition can also be signed at the Plodder Lane post office.

“I feel there has been no information supplied for people yet at bus stops or on the bus itself.

“We are against the ending of the 68 bus in this area”

Harper Green councillor Susan Haworth added: “ Myself and Farnworth Councillor Noel Spencer are supporting the campaigners who are against the ending of the 68 bus route between Bolton and Farnworth.

“People who are young, old or of working age will be affected by the ending of this route through an area in which 33 per cent of residents are in regular need of public transport.”

A spokesman for First said: “There is a route change on our 68 service which will now serve customers between Farnworth and the intu Trafford Centre.

“Our customers can still travel between Bolton and Farnworth using our 22 or 501 services, and can still travel between Bolton and Harper Green using our 36 service.

“We're also introducing a new 520 service alongside our existing 519 service, which will be extended to Great Lever. These two routes will replace daytime journeys on services 571 and 572.

“The new route for our 519 and 520 services has been designed to ensure we get through the town centre in the most efficient way, as well as serving the main areas of the town that our customers tell us are important to them.

“The route serves Bolton Bus Station to allow our customers to connect with other bus services and the local shopping centres too. We also run along Great Moor Street — a short walk to the railway station and Morrisons supermarket.”