PLANS for a new bus priority corridor from Leigh to Manchester city centre are moving ahead, according to transport chiefs.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority says proposals for the section of the route from Leigh to Ellenbrook would make it the longest guided Busway in the country.

It would link up with an on-highway bus priority corridor from Ellenbrook to Manchester.

The Authority, working with councils in Wigan and Salford, and the Highways Authority, is carrying out further consultation on the guided section of the route.

Initial consultation on the bus priority section of the route started last month.

Residents and businesses were first asked their views on the Leigh Guided Busway last summer.

Although a number of technical issues were raised, particularly by local people who use the corridor for recreation, there was "a strong level of underlying support for the proposals", says GMPTA.

Over the past six months, the proposals have been refined to accommodate the needs of walkers, cyclists and horse riders, which will be the basis of further consultation.

The scheme includes bus lanes, granting bus access to roads where other traffic is excluded and allowing buses priority at traffic lights.

GMPTA says the "major benefits" will include quicker and more reliable bus services, encouraging people to travel by bus rather than car, giving buses a visible advantage over cars and helping traffic management.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.