This is the latest in a series of columns by former Bolton News Editor Ian Savage

MAKING the choice to travel to Manchester from Bolton by car or by train at the moment is like being asked whether you would rather be punched in the stomach or poked in the eye.

Anyone who has to regularly endure the rush hour travelling from here to the city on either mode of transport has my deepest sympathy.

I pointed out two weeks ago that Northern Rail’s attempts to get people from A to B by train was an utter disgrace, despite the people of this town having suffered a Third World service for decades.

I genuinely asked whether things could get any worse.

On that very day it was announced that ‘a plan’ was being put together to improve the situation.

I’m not an expert in these matters, but I am pretty sure the plan isn’t working and that the situation HAS got worse, piling misery on already battered passengers.

Meanwhile, the political campaign – backed jointly by rival news organisations across the north of of the country this week, including The Bolton News – gathers pace

But it’s not just the trains that are giving people a transport headache at the moment; take a look at the price of fuel.

I saw a sign the other day on a Bolton forecourt that said diesel was almost £1.30 a litre and thought I had misread the sign until I looked again.

Round here, you won’t get a litre of petrol for much less than £1.18 at the moment. That’s around £5.30 a gallon. In other parts of the country the price is more than £1.30 a litre.

Remember the time when there was outrage at the prospect that fuel would break through the £1 a litre mark? Now, ridiculous as it is, that price sounds cheap.

Thinking logically, no one can seriously think that over the long term fuel prices will decrease and stay lower.

That just won’t happen. There may be peaks and troughs over a period of time, but the overall trend is for prices to continue to rise.

Which leads us to the debate about whether higher prices might be better for the planet, as less people are able travel by car and the consequent reduction in pollution.

That’s all well and good in places like London, where there is (generally) a highly effective and reliable underground system.

Bolton doesn’t even have Metrolink.

And, despite all the best intentions, cycling on the main roads, negotiating potholes and traffic, can be a terrifying experience.

Even when the trains are running properly, for many a car is the only option.

Those with very young children, or aren’t on a bus route, or need to use their vehicle as part of their work.

Whether we like it or not, the fact is that many people need their cars – they are not a luxury. Many motorists are opting for more economic models to save fuel costs and be friendlier to the environment.

But for many, owning a car will soon become an unaffordable luxury, if it hasn’t already.

That wouldn’t be quite such a bad thing, if there were amazing alternatives to get us around Greater Manchester in a cost effective, comfortable and reliable way.

Unfortunately, we are a long way off being in that position, so for now at least we have to grit our teeth as we fill up our vehicles or stand for an age on a train platform.