I WRITE to comment on the letter from Cllr John Rothwell, under the heading of 'Let's get going over the buses'.

I feel, as many people who live on the Springfield and Mossfield Estate in Kearsley do, that the simple solution to the bus situation on these estates is to reinstate the 28 service, by making the number 8 service four buses to the hour, not six as pertains at present. The other two buses every 30 minutes could run as they used to, via Pilkington and Springfield Roads.

Alternatively, let ALL the number 8s go round the estate. After all there are no bus stops on Bolton Road between Pilkington Road and Springfield Road, while there are three bus stops in one direction, and four in the other on these estate roads.

Surely this answers the viability people at First Manchester Buses. We now have no direct service to Bolton or Manchester in either direction. If we want to go to Bolton, we have a tour or Harper Green and Great Lever if we choose to use the number 22 service. If we choose to go to Manchester, we have to change buses at the Windmill at Pendlebury, while the 22 bus disappears down Station Road and re-appears some three hours later having visited Stockport.

Utilising the re-modelled number 8 service, means paying an additional fare from the estates, to take intending passengers to Manchester or Bolton Roads to link up with this service.

Is this what First Manchester call viability, extorting money from passengers by withdrawing services?

Jim Alker

Springfield Road, Kearsley.