Rowen "On the bus" for Green Transport Week.

10.09.24am BST (GMT +0100) Sat 27th May 2006

Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson and Rochdale MP, Paul Rowen will be undertaking a review of bus services in Rochdale for Green Transport Week. This will be held between 10th and 18th June. Paul is asking bus passengers to get in touch with him and let him know any problem routes. Paul will then meet them on that bus out and do a questionnaire with other passengers and discuss the problems during their journey. He will then take these results and send them to the GMPTE and demand action.

Paul said, "We will be talking to passengers and doing a survey to see how we can improve the existing services. We will be releasing our very own Bus Timetable to let passengers know which buses we will be travelling on and at what time."

Paul continued, "Green Transport Week is a good time to do a comprehensive review of bus services in Rochdale. I undertook a survey of train passengers last summer and the results were presented to Transport Bosses. I know that many of the complaints have now been sorted out. It is only by travelling on some of these problem routes that I can begin to understand some of the problems that people have day in, day out. One problem that I have had numerous complaints about is Bus Operators effectively "cherry picking" the busy popular routes but ignoring some of the more rural services most notably in places like Littleborough and Wardle.".

Green Transport Week is happening across the country, Councils across Britain are holding activities such as car free days. The aim of the week is to highlight real alternatives to the car for every day journeys. The GMPTE are offering a free Day Saver Ticket to residents and are asking people to choose a day in the week for free travel.

Paul Rowen MP said, "This is very welcome, I would hope that people actually get out of their cars and take advantage of this very generous offer. I have also written to the new Secretary of State for Transport, Douglas Alexander MP, with my idea how to mark the week. Wouldn´t it be a fitting time to make a positive statement about the future of the Metrolink in places like Rochdale, Oldham and South Manchester. That would show that the Government have a real commitment to Public Transport."