I AM appalled and dismayed from rants and misguided attacks on the Leigh, Salford to Manchester busway scheme from wannabe councillors who are standing in local elections.

For years I’ve been working around the whole of Greater Manchester and I’ve been stuck on the A580 in gridlock most mornings before the guided busway was started. This is the reason we argued for the scheme in the first place.

It’s a fact that each year more and more cars come onto the roads, so it is the purpose of TfGMC to explore, where possible, better alternatives so car owners use public transport instead of their own cars to get around.

It has been proven in other areas that where car owners are stuck in traffic and see a bus passing them freely in a bus lane or busway it encourages them to commute instead.

It is our aim to give them an alternative safe and reliable mode of travel.

This is the first in the north west. Yes that’s right, we are the first, and this is a £122 million overall package to enable more people – some of whom cannot afford cars plus more than 10 per cent of current car users – to enjoy a faster, more punctual and reliable bus service to access much needed jobs as well as hospitals after current roadworks in Manchester.

I am sick of reading Norman Bradbury’s repeated negativity of this scheme and our area.

Why would anyone want to come over here after listening to his negativity ripping our towns to bits all the time?

We should be telling everyone in Manchester to visit our towns of Atherton, Tyldesley and Leigh as they are great places to shop.

The latest accusation was that the fencing may have to come down, which is not true.

I can also assure passengers that there are enough Vantage buses to run on it too.

I was with him when he visited Cambridge and he said it was a fantastic scheme.

The Cambridge busway has been a successful scheme. It was built on the assumption that a very large housing scheme was being built to bring in passengers. It wasn’t at the time we visited yet it was an overwhelming success.

House prices around the busway also went up by more than 22 per cent.

With his comments Mr Bradbury is saying he’s against the money that has been spent on our local towns as more than £1 million has been spent on revitalising areas around Atherton, Tyldesley and Leigh town centre – investment that would not have been seen because of government cuts on local council budgets.

I am proud to say that TfGM has delivered this scheme, which I supported, that is giving more job opportunities throughout Manchester to more people over our side of the conurbation while giving ease of access to more people who have to attend hospitals around Manchester too.

I have received loads of positive feedback from people who have been on the guided busway’s maiden voyage on Sunday and I thank First Bus and TfGM officers personally for overseeing the many travellers.

Even my mum, daughter and wife said it was the smoothest, most pleasant bus journey they had ever had.

If my mum says it’s good, it must be good.

Atherleigh Ward Councillor Mark Aldred

Chairman of TfGM's bus committee