I HESITATE before crossing swords with Brian Tetlow, whose massive contribution to the political, cultural and architectural life of Bolton I would ordinarily be the first to praise.

But I think he is dead wrong when it comes to the issue of Bolton interchange and where to put the buses (The Bolton News, June 27).

I was on the Passenger Transport Authority for three years, and served as chairman of its Transport Network Committee.

The decision to locate the bus station at Moor Lane, rather than Dawes Street, which Bolton Council took in the early 1980s, was in the light of the way the town centre was then and was partly influenced by ease of access to Bolton Royal Infirmary, which no longer exists.

The pattern of local train services has since changed and more Boltonians are now travelling directly into central Manchester.

The numbers of people commuting to Manchester from Bolton is rising by 10 per cent or so every year. Even without the introduction of congestion charging it makes sense to make it as easy as possible for people to use public transport.

That in itself makes the argument for locating bus and rail stations close together, as in Bradford, York, and many other locations.

There is another reason. At present, the southern end of Newport Street and Great Moor Street are economically less attractive than the rest of the town centre. A scheme such as moving the bus interchange to Newport Street is the only hope we have of bringing additional pedestrian footfall and economic revitalisation to a part of the town centre that is, to say the least, a bit weary.

Peter Johnston, Kendal Road, Bolton