A MOTORIST claims a bus corridor has increased his journey to work time by 20 minutes.

William Nelson is furious about new bus lanes which he claims have only created more congestion.

He says road narrowing has caused massive tailbacks in Leigh Road, Leigh.

Mr Nelson said: "Traffic leaving Leigh could pass left-turning vehicles at Leigh Road/Kirkhall Lane but cannot now do so due to the new bus lane. Queues now form at Leigh town centre."

And he is challenging transport chiefs to a rethink on the Leigh-Bolton 'quality bus corridor'.

He said: "I cannot foresee the need for me to use a bus. They are expensive, unreliable and time consuming. Why set off an extra hour earlier, pay extra and use a bus?"

Mr Nelson has complained to GMPTE just as proposals are being made for a guided busway between Leigh and Manchester.

It is not only Mr Nelson who is resentful of these changes. Mr Jack Pendlebury also voiced his opinion:

"There is a continuous tailback of traffic from the lights at Lovers Lane to as far back as the Cenotaph at the cemetery on Leigh Road."

Although Mr Pendlebury understands the problems these changes cause for people on tight schedules. He has offered a solution to the problem.

"The pavement on the south side of the traffic lights seems twice the width necessary. Another two feet of road space would allow a free flow of traffic to the left of vehicles turning into Lovers Lane, which are constantly held up by oncoming traffic from the Leigh side."