Oldham bus station
{{Short description|Bus station in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Oldham
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| symbol_location = gb
| symbol = bus
| type =
| image = Oldham Bus Station - geograph.org.uk - 651350.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Oldham West Street bus station in 2008
| other_name =
| address = Cheapside, Oldham
| borough = Oldham
| country =
| coordinates = {{coord|53.5431|-2.1162|display=inline,title}}
| owned =
| operator = Transport for Greater Manchester
| bus_stands = 12
| bus_operators = {{Flatlist|
}}
| bus_routes =
| connections = No
| structure =
| parking =
| bicycle =
| accessible =
| code =
| zone =
| website =
| opened = 2001 (Cheapside), 2006 (West Street)
| closed =
| passengers =
| pass_year =
| pass_rank =
| map_type =
| map_caption =
}}
Oldham bus station is a bus station located in the town of Oldham in Greater Manchester. The bus station is found on Cheapside at the junction of West Street. The bus station opened in January 2001{{Cite web
|url=http://www.oldham.gov.uk/final_infrastructure_study.pdf
|title=Oldham Local Development Framework
|access-date=3 September 2011
|publisher=Oldham Council
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928163912/http://www.oldham.gov.uk/final_infrastructure_study.pdf
|archive-date=28 September 2011
|url-status=dead
}} and replaced the previous bus station at Town Square and the bus stops on Cheapside and West Street. The bus station is run by Transport for Greater Manchester.
History
In the past, there were three termini in Oldham, West Street, Town Square and Mumps Bridge with services terminating in Oldham, arriving from western areas, at West Street and services arriving from eastern areas terminating at Town Square. Mumps Bridge is used as a terminus for First Greater Manchester (formerly GM Buses/GM Buses North) services, as the depot is located at Mumps Bridge.
{{Cite web
|url=http://mancunian1001.wordpress.com/2010/12/14/going-up-town-in-1980s-oldham/
|title=Going Up Town in 1980s Oldham
|date=14 December 2010
|access-date=3 September 2011
|publisher=East of the M60}} When the bus station opened, all services terminating in the town (with the exception of some First service which terminate at Mumps Bridge) would terminate at the new bus station.
File:Oldham Bus Station - geograph.org.uk - 492929.jpg
The new station opened in January 2001 and within the first two years of opening, it won two awards.
{{Cite web
|url=http://www.austinsmithlord.com/our-work/sectors/transport/bus_and_coach/projects/7/
|title=the borough Oldhamer, issue 35 November/December 2006
|access-date=3 September 2011
|publisher=Oldham Council}} Originally, there were eight stands in the bus station, A to H. Due to the number of buses arriving in Oldham every hour, plus National Express coaches which also uses the bus station as a stopping place, it was decided, to avoid congestion, that some services would use bus stops on West Street, which is around the corner from the bus station. After complaints from passengers waiting for buses on West Street of suffering from the elements, GMPTE decided to build a smaller bus station, based on the one on Cheapside for West Street.
{{Cite web
|url=http://menmedia.co.uk/oldhamadvertiser/news/s/502015_22m_bus_station
|title=£2.2m bus station
|access-date=3 September 2011
|publisher=Oldham Advertiser}} This opened in September 2006 at a cost of £2.2m.
{{Cite web
|url=http://www.docstoc.com/docs/74866383/wwwoldhamgovuk
|title=Austin-Smith:Lord - Our Work - Transport - Bus And Coach - Oldham Bus Station
|access-date=3 September 2011
|publisher=Austin Smith Lord}} Now, there are, in total, 12 stands, from A to H and J to M.{{Cite web
|url=http://www.tfgm.com/buses/Documents/Departures/Oldham.pdf
|title=Bus Station Departures - Oldham
|access-date=1 September 2012
|publisher=Transport for Greater Manchester
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140113022909/http://www.tfgm.com/buses/Documents/Departures/Oldham.pdf
|archive-date=13 January 2014
|url-status=dead
}}
{{clear}}
Services
The majority of bus services are run by Stagecoach Manchester with other services run by operators including Metroline Manchester, Diamond North West and Go North West.{{Cite web |title=Oldham Bus Station |url=https://bustimes.org/stations/180GOMBS |website=bustimes.org |access-date=7 March 2025}}{{Cite web |title=Oldham West Street Bus Station |url=https://bustimes.org/stations/180GOMWS |website=bustimes.org |access-date=7 March 2025}}
There are frequent buses running to a large number of surrounding areas of Oldham and Greater Manchester including Manchester, Middleton, Rochdale, Saddleworth and Tameside, with one local bus service running out of the region into Huddersfield in West Yorkshire. National Express serves Oldham Bus Station twice per day on their 540 route from London to Burnley.{{Cite web |title=540 - London - Burnley |url=https://bustimes.org/services/540-london-colne |website=bustimes.org |access-date=7 March 2025}}
Safety concerns
File:Cheapside, Oldham - geograph.org.uk - 2472850.jpg
One problem with Oldham bus station is the safety of the zebra crossings. In January 2007, 56-year-old Ann Kerridge was killed after being knocked down by a First Manchester single-deck bus while using a crossing at the bus station,{{cite news |last1=Ayala |first1=Beatriz |title=Crossing death fight for justice |url=https://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/33923/crossing-death-fight-for-justice |access-date=8 March 2025 |work=Oldham Evening Chronicle |date=11 December 2009}} with husband Brian dying shortly afterwards, which the family believed was caused by a broken heart.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}} Following another accident at the same crossing in September 2007 and a report by GMPTE obtained by the Oldham Evening Chronicle newspaper,{{cite news|url=http://editions.pagesuite.co.uk//PageSuite3.aspx?page=1&scale=96.9&height=725&width=1036&editionid=37638&filekey=&path=_PSEDitions/Oldham%20Chronicle/Oldham%20Chronicle/2007-10-02/|title=Oldham Chronicle page 1|access-date=2 October 2007|work=Oldham Evening Chronicle |page=1 |date=2 October 2007}}{{Dead link|date=April 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} showing potentially fatal flaws at the two crossings at the ends of the bus station, one being near the entrance to the Travelshop and the other near the junction of St Mary's Way, it had led to the family of Ann Kerridge to demand that the crossing should be closed.{{cite news |last1=Abkor |first1=Ruhubia |title=Gran's death leads to rethink over bus station safety |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/grans-death-leads-to-rethink-over-1013884 |access-date=8 March 2025 |work=Manchester Evening News |date=12 December 2007}}
The problem with the two crossings is that bus drivers approach the crossing on a 90 degree bend, which would restrict the view of both the driver and the pedestrian, sometimes approaching the crossing slightly too fast. Also some drivers have been known to have stopped at the junction waiting to turn right out of the bus station, blocking the crossing, making it harder and more dangerous for pedestrians to cross over.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}} Following the report from GMPTE, the pedestrian crossings were reallocated to the sides of the bus station next to stands G and H, however calls are still being made for the crossings to be removed altogether.{{cite news |last1=Jones |first1=Lewis |title=Plea over danger crossing |url=https://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/52083/plea-over-danger-crossing |access-date=8 March 2025 |work=Oldham Evening Chronicle |date=26 January 2011}}{{cite news |last1=Metcalf |first1=Jacob |title=Crossing 'is still a danger' to public |url=https://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/101814/crossing-is-still-a-danger-to-public |access-date=8 March 2025 |work=Oldham Evening Chronicle |date=26 January 2017}} Zebra Crossings were put near the bus station in September 2023 and the original pedestrian crossings were removed.