IN response to Eric Hyland's letter in regards to First Bus and route 519.

I would like to confirm that First Bus does not receive any grant whatsoever from Bolton Council, especially in respect to Route 519 or any other bus route.

Under the 1984 Transport Act, bus companies have to operate services at a profit. If they cannot make a profit, then changes have to be made such a re-timing or withdrawing a route.

The only time a bus company would receive any form of grant is from the Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), and not Bolton Council, to operate a service that would be classed a necessity for an area and there is no other alternative and is financially viable — in term of Route 519, TfGM cannot support a subsidised service as Route 501 replaces Route 519 between Doffcocker and Johnson Fold whilst customers can easily change buses and catch a Route 125 from Doffcocker to anywhere on Chorley Old Road.

Both Route 501 and Route 125 operate approximately every 10 minutes and, as such, more than plenty of buses to change or ride on.

It would have been a different story of either, or both Route 501 and Route 125 had an hourly, or worse, frequency, during the daytime.

First Bus did everything correct as all it needs to discuss the withdrawal with is TfGM and the regional Traffic Commissioner. Basically all it needs to do is advise of change or withdrawal six weeks before it happens with Traffic Commissioner, but I do know that First Bus gave about eight-week's notice, according to the DVSA website.

Currently the franchise system, that Greater London has, does not operate in Greater Manchester, although that will be a different story in 2020.

All the bus companies operate to the letter of the 1984 Transport Act and operate commercial routes (which have no subsidies) or subsidised routes (which are funded by the TfGM) hence why you may get different companies at different times of day on routes depending on whether the route is subsidised at that time or day, or not.

In other words, First Bus is not under contract with Bolton Council, and neither are any of the other bus companies.

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