The village to be ‘cut off’ by bus strikes

People living in a small ‘forgotten’ village on the edge of Greater Manchester fear they will be ‘cut off’ from the city-region when buses grind to a halt tomorrow morning (September 19).

Hollingworth sits on the border of Tameside and High Peak, and has no nearby train station or tram stop.

Anyone who has driven through between the M67 and Snake Pass will know the area is also frequented by heavy traffic.

On Friday, bus drivers are set to go on strike over pay – which many living in Hollingworth say will leave them stranded.

While many the Local Democracy Reporting Service spoke to in the village said they respect the need for industrial action from over 2,000 Unite union members, they feel a lifeline has been cut.

Former bus driver Bob Phillips explained that if he lived anywhere else, he would be all for the strike action. But given his partial blindness, rural location and need for the bus – he’s ‘on the fence’.

Bob Phillips. Credit: LDRS

“I was a bus driver for 28 years,” the 73-year-old said. “I’m for the drivers because I was spat at, shot at, stabbed in the leg during my time. 

“I even got my teeth knocked out so I know it’s a hard job. But the timing of this isn’t great, it’s a killer for rural places like this.

“I need to get to the hospital for my eyes and I don’t have a car.”

Pointing at the 237 bus flying past, Bob is surprised because it’s on time. He says the huge traffic problems in the area mean they rarely run on time.

“You become used to it, the lateness,” he added. “But when there is a strike, that’s it, they’re gone. 

“The 237 is the vital link and lifeline between us and Stalybridge, Hattersley, and essentially Manchester. Now it’s getting cut off.”

Bob explained how before the Bee Network came in, the 236 bus was taken off, meaning he had to walk much further up the street to get the 237. He hopes to see a return of the 236 bus under the new network, which he credited Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham for trying.

But he believes there are still ‘teething problems’ with the integrated transport network.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) says that several measures are being put in place to help people get around, including allowing customers to use their bus tickets and passes on alternative routes. But this is no good for villagers here, because there are no alternatives like in more connected areas like Ashton or Stalybridge.

From tomorrow until Sunday, residents in Hollingworth will be splashing out on taxis to get places if they don’t drive. Given the older demographic in the village, many don’t have a car to use and rely on buses.

For Carol Warhurst though, this is nothing new. The buses are already unreliable in her eyes.

Carol Warhurst. Credit: LDRS

“We’re forgotten here,” she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service. “If the buses stop we’ll be completely cut off. 

“I wouldn’t chance it anyway because they’ve got a closed notice on the stop. I went to Glossop last Sunday and I couldn’t risk going to the bus stop there so I had to go to the one at the end of the street.

“It was pouring with rain and they’re only every hour. It’s a poor service, I hoped it would be better when Burnham said he would sort it out. But I’m disappointed.

“Now I use the bus, if I have a fixed spot I feel I need to get a taxi. You can’t get directly to Hyde three-and-a-half miles away. My dentist is in Hyde, so I have to get a bus to Ashton and then to Hyde if I go from public transport.”

It is the first wave of industrial action to hit the Bee Network since buses were brought under public control by Andy Burnham. The drivers’ dispute, though is not directly with Bee Network and instead covers companies contracted to run services in Greater Manchester – Metroline Manchester, Stagecoach Manchester and First Bus Rochdale.

Unite says the offers are ‘unsatisfactory’ following ‘years of low pay’ and the ‘ongoing cost of living crisis’, with inflation now at 3.8 per cent. 

The strikes mean some services – including school buses – will not run. A lack of school buses also will also mean more cars clogging up Market Street – the main road running through the heart of Hollingworth. 

Andrew Smith is walking his dog Rosy along the high street, tutting at the level of traffic. He says the queuing cars lead to unreliable buses – which don’t go where he wants them to anyway. 

Andrew Smith. Credit: LDRS

“You can’t even get a bus to Hyde,” the 62-year-old told the LDRS. “Bus routes are rubbish, so the strikes won’t make things much worse. 

“There are a lot of people who are reliant on the buses in the village as there are lots of older people. So they will be impacted by this. 

“We just need better transport links in general here.”

Andrew then waved hello to the local Methodist Church minister, Hazel Cook, who stopped to chat about the public transport reliance in the area.

Hazel Cook. Credit: LDRS

Hazel said: “I don’t use the buses personally, but lots of people are reliant on them for all different reasons.

“We’re on the edge of Tameside and Greater Manchester in Hollingworth and people feel more isolated. Go just a few hundred yards from here to Tintwistle and you’re into High Peak. I know a lot of people use them because the traffic volume is huge through here, which doesn’t help. One car broken down leads to hold ups for hours. 

“It’s not the bus driver’s fault, but this will feed into everything else, with an added knock on effect.”

Three Bee Network bus operators – First, Metroline and Stagecoach – announced that they would walk out from Friday, September 19 to Monday, September 22. Union bosses have said that the strikes will cause ‘serious disruption to bus services’.

The industrial action falls when Manchester United host Chelsea at Old Trafford on September 20, while Peter Kay performs at the AO Arena and Tom Grennan plays at Co-op Live on September 19.

Speaking previously on the strike action, TfGM chief network officer Danny Vaughan said: “Bus operators across the country are responsible for the pay and conditions of their staff. We are encouraging operators and their unions to continue talks, reach agreement and avoid disruption for passengers.

“Around two-thirds of buses will not run if bus operator staff take industrial action. We know this will impact people’s ability to get around and we’re very sorry for any disruption or inconvenience.

“Trams and trains will run as normal, as well as some buses in parts of Greater Manchester. People should check to see if their bus service is affected and, if so, plan an alternative journey ahead of time. It will be busier than normal and we’re urging people to leave plenty of time when travelling around the city-region.

“We are doing all we can to let people know about this and minimise the disruption and keep Greater Manchester moving. Our teams will be out helping passengers, bus tickets and passes will be accepted on trams, and all other public transport services will run as normal.”