I WRITE in response to the letter by Brian Derbyshire of October 5.

Brian pours scorn over the "real time" bus information system that is being piloted on the Bolton/Leigh Bus Corridor. Brian has a point when he challenges why the pilot should be on one of the most successful bus routes in the town, but I do stress that this is a pilot, with the opportunity for it to go out on to other routes in the future.

The reason this particular route was chosen is that it is part and parcel of the other measures that have taken place on that corridor, most noticeably the bus priority lanes. The Government has put a huge emphasis on local authorities and transport authorities to encourage more use of the bus.

As a part of this challenge, GMPTA have undertaken a great deal of research as to why people choose not to use a bus at least some of the time, as opposed to always using the car. Brian will not need telling this, but many reasons came back, such as unreliability of buses and safety concerns.

One of the issues, however, was the fact that many people are unaware of the bus as an option, in that they know little of the services that serve them and the times that they run. Brian may arm himself with a timetable, but I'll bet not many people do. Put it this way, if I went to the bus stop and a display told me that the next bus to town is three minutes away, I'll happily wait. If I go to the bus stop and the display says the next bus is 15 minutes away, then I have a number of choices to make, including alternative transport. How many people have stood at bus stops with absolutely no idea how long they will have to wait? What is better, knowing or not knowing?

Cllr Nick Peel

Bolton Spokesman

GMPTA

I WRITE in response to the letter by Brian Derbyshire of October 5.

Brian pours scorn over the "real time" bus information system that is being piloted on the Bolton/Leigh Bus Corridor. Brian has a point when he challenges why the pilot should be on one of the most successful bus routes in the town, but I do stress that this is a pilot, with the opportunity for it to go out on to other routes in the future.

The reason this particular route was chosen is that it is part and parcel of the other measures that have taken place on that corridor, most noticeably the bus priority lanes. The Government has put a huge emphasis on local authorities and transport authorities to encourage more use of the bus.

As a part of this challenge, GMPTA have undertaken a great deal of research as to why people choose not to use a bus at least some of the time, as opposed to always using the car. Brian will not need telling this, but many reasons came back, such as unreliability of buses and safety concerns.

One of the issues, however, was the fact that many people are unaware of the bus as an option, in that they know little of the services that serve them and the times that they run. Brian may arm himself with a timetable, but I'll bet not many people do. Put it this way, if I went to the bus stop and a display told me that the next bus to town is three minutes away, I'll happily wait. If I go to the bus stop and the display says the next bus is 15 minutes away, then I have a number of choices to make, including alternative transport. How many people have stood at bus stops with absolutely no idea how long they will have to wait? What is better, knowing or not knowing?