FOLLOWING a health and safety check where a guided bus was stopped to see if the passengers could be evacuated from the bus in the case of an emergency, it was found that if the emergency occurred by the fence to the side of the busway it was impossible to get a wheelchair off.

The issue was raised at a meeting of the infrastructure committee of TfGM by Cllr James Grundy and an officer eventually admitted that there was a problem.

However when asked how this could be resolved he was told that they would cut holes in the fence at various points to allow for passengers in wheelchairs to get off.

What do they think we are? How on earth can they guarantee that the guided bus will break down opposite these breaks in the fence?

To ensure wheelchair users' safety the whole fence needs to be removed and re-positioned further away from the guideway before the busway opens on April 3.

Norman Bradbury, Hillside Avenue, Atherton

A TfGM spokesperson said: “No fencing is being removed or amended.

"Emergency evacuation plans and procedures have been developed in partnership with future busway operator First, in the rare event of a serious incident occurring along the guided section.

"Refuge points are in place at 200-metre intervals along the guideway in locations where there are no natural breaks in the fencing.

"This simple measure will allow safe evacuation of all passengers, including people with disabilities.”