20Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Conductors are still what is needed on Oldham tram line says Sykes

Conductors are still what is needed on Oldham tram line says Sykes

Borough news
Liberal Democrat Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has once again made the call for conductors to be introduced on the Oldham Metrolink network. He made his call again at a meeting of the Rail and Metrolink Committee on Friday 14 January in response to a detailed report on the trams detailing amongst other things crime and anti-social-behavior (ASB). “It was November 2018 when Oldham Council agreed with the Liberal Democrat suggestion for conductors and still nothing has happened,” stated councillor Sykes. “I welcome the proposal to provide CCTV at some tram stops in Oldham and other schemes to tackle ASB and make the trams safer. However I am worried this will not be enough and will also just displace activity away from these five town centre stops to elsewhere on the…
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27Jan 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Transport bosses decide free Wi-fi no longer an option for Metrolink

Transport bosses decide free Wi-fi no longer an option for Metrolink

Borough news
Transport bosses have confirmed they have decided to scrap free wi-fi on Metrolink permanently as a cost-saving option, despite the objections of Liberal Democrat Councillor Howard Sykes MBE. The issue was discussed on Friday 22 January at a meeting of the Rail and Metrolink Committee of the Transport for Greater Manchester Board at the request of Councillor Sykes, who sits on the Committee and Board as an Oldham representative. Councillor Sykes also represents Shaw Ward, which is located on the busiest Metrolink tram service and has the most used stop – Shaw and Crompton – on the Rochdale–Oldham line. In July 2020, in response to complaints from constituents who use the tram, he raised that the Wi-fi service had not been available on trams on the line since the onset…
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25Jun 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrat Leader calls for free wifi to be restored on trams

Borough news, Campaigns
The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to Metrolink bosses calling for Wi-fi to be made available on available on tram services. Councillor Sykes sits as an Oldham representative on the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee.  Councillor Sykes also represents Shaw Ward, which is located on the busiest Metrolink tram service and has the most used stop – Shaw and Crompton – on the Rochdale – Oldham line.  He was responding to a report from one of his constituents, himself a regular tram user, that the Wi-fi service has not been available on trams on the line since the onset of the Coronavirus Lockdown. Commenting, Councillor Sykes said: “I do not know why the Wi-fi service was…
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30May 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Out on a limb – Metrolink zone proposal will cost Oldham, Shaw and Crompton residents more!

Borough news, Campaigns
The Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has urged caution re the recent announcement by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham that he intends to introduce a zonal charging policy on the Metrolink tram system from next year. The Greater Manchester tram network will be split into four zones, with passengers charged one fare for travel within a single zone and a different fare for travelling across one or more zones. Shaw and Crompton is in Zone 4, whilst all of the remaining stations in the Borough will be in Zone 3. Derker is on the boundary. “This is just barmy,” stated Councillor Sykes. “Common sense says that Shaw and Crompton should be in the same zone…
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