Calls for direct bus route between Ramsbottom and Tottington

Tottington councillor Yvonne Wright called for the connection in a Facebook post on September 1, arguing that a direct service between the neighbouring towns could bring economic and social benefits.

Speaking about the proposal, Cllr Wright, who sits on Bury Council as an independent, told the Bury Times: "It can only be good for both townships.

"More footfall, more business, at all times of day. I think it would be a really good thing."

A bus service previously connected the two communities.

The 481 route ran between Ramsbottom, Holcombe Brook, Greenmount, Tottington, Walshaw and Bury at regular intervals throughout the day before it was withdrawn in 2016 and has not been replaced.

Now, social media debates have questioned whether it should be reinstated to support connections between the two towns.

And when the Bury Times visited Tottington, opinion among residents and business owners appeared divided.

Michelle, who works at Tottington Insurance, said the service could be particularly useful for older residents.

She said: "It would probably benefit Tottington and the older community, so it would probably help them."

Helen Lambert, owner of Helen's Flowers in Tottington, also backed the idea, highlighting its potential environmental benefits.

She said: "If visiting family members don't drive to Tottington from Ramsbottom, it would be good.

"If they're trying to cut emissions with fewer cars and more buses, which would ease congestion, that would also be good."

However, not everyone is convinced a new route is needed.

Ian Senior, who runs local sportswear manufacturer SK Kits, said: "I've never really considered it, to be honest.

Potentially a bus service could benefit schools such as Woodhey, but I don't think Tottington needs anything else."

Tottington resident Alex also questioned the level of demand for a direct link.

He said: "I don't think a lot of people in Tottington have Ramsbottom on their radar.

One straight road into Bury can take around nine minutes, depending on traffic."

Journey times between the two towns also differ significantly depending on the mode of transport.

According to Google Maps, a car journey can take around eight minutes, while travelling by bus currently requires a connection via Bury, and when tested by the Bury Times, it took more than 40 minutes.

Commenting on the calls for a new bus service, Martin Shier, Head of Bus Network Design and Operations at Transport for Greater Manchester, said TfGM will "consider all opportunities" for bus services in the area but did not confirm whether the direct route will be reinstated.

He said: “We are working hard to deliver a bus service that works for all our communities and are in the midst of delivering the most significant service changes to the Bee Network since they came under local control, including new routes and more frequent services.

"The direct link between Tottington and Ramsbottom was withdrawn several years before services were franchised as part of the Bee Network.

"However, passengers wishing to make this journey can currently do so by using services 469 and 472 or 474 via a connection at Bury, using a Hopper ticket to cover both services at no extra cost.

"As part of TfGM’s ongoing Network Development programme, we continually review opportunities to provide new links, and we will continue to consider all opportunities in the future.”