BACK in the late 1990s when on the committees of Ring and Ride and TfGM’s Wigan transport groups a new item on the agenda was a proposal to set up the Leigh to Manchester guided busway.

Spurious objections led to a public enquiry, which was held in October 2002 at Tyldesley Top Chapel.

I didn’t attend the meeting, which was independently chaired by David Woodrow.

However I did submit a letter to the Journal about what an asset it would become.

A modern transport system with the buses’ interior specially designed for the disabled, features including audio visual displays to make the passengers aware of the next bus stop and extensive landscaping including a very wide path running alongside it that is great for pedestrians and horse riders etc.

Figures produced in last week’s Journal proves that the guided busway is going from strength to strength, as was predicted at the outset.

In 2002 I had a vision that Ring and Ride would pick passengers up in Tyldesley who wished to travel to Manchester and take them to the interchange in the town with the arrangement of a set time to pick them up and take them home later.

Now that the new car park has been built – with three disabled parking bays – between Upper Street and George Street and the busway, that vision has become reality.

Thank you to the Transport for Greater Manchester and Wigan Council for their foresight in seeing the guided busway would become the success that it is now.

Frank Parkinson

Birch Street

Tyldesley