Businesses still rebuilding from the coronavirus pandemic have been dealt a blow by the cancellation of a full bus service, one cafe owner claims. Atherton used to have four direct bus services to Manchester before the Leigh Guided Busway was brought in back in 2017 but now it has none - except for peak times.
The V2 bus service, operated by First, had been hailed by business owners in the centre as it brought people to their front doors but now, ‘due to lack of usage’, it has been left in a reduced capacity. Transport for Greater Manchester conducted surveys on October 18, 19 and 20 on the replacement shuttle bus and found ‘there was low demand’.
This meant that the V2 will continue to run at peak times only and a shuttle bus will take people from the centre of Atherton to the nearest guided busway stop.
