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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05May 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dems commit to £2bn for hydrogen bus fleet revolution

Lib Dems commit to £2bn for hydrogen bus fleet revolution

Parliamentary news
The Liberal Democrats have announced that they would create a £2 billion fund to oversee the conversion of every bus fleet in England to hydrogen or electric powered vehicles. Liberal Democrats have proposed a £20 billion “Clean Air Fund”, which not only includes money to convert buses, but also to fund more bus routes and invest in walking and cycling. The policy comes as the party has promised to ‘decarbonise england, creating greener, cleaner communities’ ahead of the May local elections. They are also calling for the conversion of the rail network to ultra-low-emission technology by 2035 as part of a significant investment in public transport. Much of England’s buses are diesel powered, which is responsible for the high levels of particulate matter found in air pollution. The funding would…
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19Mar 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Lib Dem councillors push for step free access to Greenfield Station

Lib Dem councillors push for step free access to Greenfield Station

Borough news
Saddleworth’s Liberal Democrat Councillors are pushing again for step free access at Greenfield Station, signing the Step Free Access campaign’s petition to support accessible stations across the entire rail network. Local Liberal Democrat councillor Kevin Dawson said: “Greenfield Station is the only railway station in the whole of Oldham borough. It is a disgrace that it has remained inaccessible for all this time.” Councillor Garth Harkness who has been working for several years to reopen Diggle Station to provide Saddleworth with a second station, added: “With no other alternatives, it is an absolutely necessity that Greenfield Station gets step free access. This has been in limbo for too long – we have asked for a station elsewhere, but been rebuffed; we have been promised step-free access when the line is…
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10Jun 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Liberal Democrats tax relief for public transport

Borough news, Campaigns
In October 2013, then journalist and now Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for employees to be “allowed to pay for their [public transport] season tickets from their pre-tax income”. Oldham Liberal Democrat Councillors Garth Harkness and Louie Hamblett are now calling the Prime Minister’s bluff, with a new motion to the first Oldham Council meeting since the start of the Coronavirus Pandemic.  The idea behind the policy is to make a saving for passengers while actively encouraging people to reinvest in public transport. The scheme would be on seasonal travel tickets throughout the public transport network in Greater Manchester.  Passengers would save hundreds of pounds a year. Councillor Harkness commented:  “It will be interesting to see if the Prime Minister makes good on this.  After all, it is his idea! …
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11May 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

GMTC deliberately blocking scrutiny over Coronavirus transport crisis

Borough news
The Liberal Democrats have accused the Chair of Greater Manchester Transport Committee (GMTC) of deliberately blocking scrutiny and avoiding input from across the region. The Chair of GMTC, Councillor Mark Aldred, has ignored multiple requests from Liberal Democrat members of the committee to constructively scrutinise how the region's transport will begin to recover from the Coronavirus crisis once lockdown beings to ease. Lib Dem representatives on GMTC, John Leech and Howard Sykes, accused Councillor Aldred of deliberately avoiding scrutiny and input from across the region and political divide. The Liberal Democrats set out five points that GMTC must urgently answer in order to address concerns about how the region's transport will begin to recover from the Coronavirus crisis: How will social distancing be maintained at the same time as getting people back on public transportAddress the budget implications…
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24Apr 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Saddleworth plan ignored with bus cuts

Borough news, Campaigns
Despite strong and repeated representations from Saddleworth Liberal Democrats, Transport for Greater Manchester have gone ahead with bus cuts to subsidised bus services in Saddleworth. The 353, 354 & 355 have been scrapped and partially replaced by 356 Saddleworth Rambler which no longer serves Greenfield Station. Instead it is rerouted from Uppermill along Bridge Street, Carr Lane, Queensway, Wellington Road, Chew Valley Road, Shaw Hall Bank Road, Church Road and High Grove Road to Mossley Road and then to Top Mossley and Ashton Liberal Democrat Councillor for Saddleworth North Garth Harkness said: “Important areas will now have no service, and the new links are poor. I raised concerns about this but I was given reassurances that it would not be as bad as we thought. Instead it is worse as…
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14Jan 2020 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Saddleworth Liberal Democrats slam bus cuts

Borough news
Saddleworth Liberal Democrats have slammed proposals for yet more reductions to bus services in Saddleworth.  The proposals by Transport for Greater Manchester seek to abolish services 353, 354, 355 and 407.  They propose to expand the Saddleworth rambler service (356) to cover some of the shortfall but it will see some areas lose bus services and a reduced service for more.  Councillor Garth Harkness, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Saddleworth North, said: “Saddleworth have already experienced cuts in bus services to Dobcross, Diggle and Greenfield recently with First bus unwilling to engage with local members and local people.  Cutting early morning services and evening services is not satisfactory at all. These proposals will see yet more cuts to services and no guarantees over reliability and capacity to cope. “During the consultation for the…
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23Aug 2019 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Unused tramlines could make the network safer

Borough news
Councillor Howard Sykes MBE challenges local tram operator to create fully functioning tram turnback facilities.  These would be at Westwood and Oldham Mumps.  The Liberal Democrat Leader on Oldham Borough Council told Transport for Greater Manchester (TFGM) that by motorising the existing points and modifying the signalling system they would create a safer travel network for residents.   The overall aim is to utilise the resources the network currently has, in full.  There have been several incidents recently where Oldham Town Centre Metrolink tracks have been blocked.  Passengers have had to leave the trams at Freehold Tram Stop for trams coming from Manchester, and Derker Tram Stop for trams coming from Rochdale. There have also been cases when trams have been damaged by vandals and the travelling public have been ‘thrown…
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03Nov 2018 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Conductors mean safer trams, say Liberal Democrats

Borough news
The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, is proposing a motion to the next full meeting of Oldham Council (Wednesday 7 November) calling on the Council to support the elected members of Shaw and Crompton who are campaigning for the introduction of conductors on the Rochdale–Oldham Metrolink line.  The motion is seconded by Councillor Sykes’ Shaw Ward colleague Hazel Gloster. Councillor Sykes, who also serves as a member of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee representing Oldham Council, is adamant that the introduction of conductors will not only make tram travel safer for passengers, but it will make a major contribution to reducing fare evasion on the line. The Rochdale–Oldham line is the worst for violent and criminal incidents of any route…
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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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