Dorset County Council has announced that it is cutting the number of bus services that it supports from 35 down to just 7!
“This will have a devastating effect on everyone who doesn’t have access to a car,” says Cllr Andy Canning, Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesman and County Councillor. “It will increase isolation as those on low incomes, poor mobility and the elderly, who live anywhere that isn’t close to a town centre, will become stranded in their homes. How are people to get food, to do their shopping or get to the doctors or the hospital? Some may be able to rely on family or friends some of the time, but many others will not.”
DCC want to save £1 million from these services. That is a very small proportion of the County Councils overall budget and Lib Dem Councillors believe that most of it should come from elsewhere.
The bus services that will come to an end in the West Dorset area on July 22nd include:
| 1, 2 and 6 | Dorchester town services |
| 44 | West Bay – Bridport |
| 71 | Lyme Regis town service |
| 73 | Powerstock – Bridport |
| 74 | Sherborne – Yetminster – Yeovil |
| 101 | Crossways – Broadmayne – Dorchester |
| 210 | Litton Cheney – Bridport |
| 211 | Poundbury – Weymouth |
| 212 | Dorchester – Yeovil |
| 307 | Stalbridge – Dorchester |
| 311 | Blandford – Dorchester |
“I will be launching a petition this weekend and working with effected Parish Councils and bus users to challenge this whole process. These cuts are going too far and are not in the interests of Dorset residents,” argues Cllr Canning.
For your information – the tendering contracts for the seven bus services that are carrying on beyond July are being issued by DCC today.
The seven public routes that will be tendered are:
- Interurban Route 1 - Blandford to Sherborne
- Interurban Route 2 - Shaftesbury to Gillingham
- Interurban Route 3 - Blandford to Shaftesbury
- Interurban Route 4 - Sturminster Newton to Gillingham
- Interurban Route 5 - Blandford to Dorchester
- Interurban Route 6 - Blandford to Salisbury
- Interurban Route 7 - Sherborne to Dorchester
The full list of bus services currently being supported is below:
DCC Supported Bus Services up to 22 July 2017
|
3 |
Poole - Wimborne via Corfe Mullen |
Mon - Sat. Except public holidays. |
DCC funds Corfe Mullen - Wimborne. |
||
|
20 |
Blandford - Salisbury |
Mon – Fri Except public holidays |
Interurban route 6 |
||
|
38 |
Ferndown - Ringwood |
Mon - Sat. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
44 |
Swanage - Worth Matravers |
Mon - Fri. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
44 |
Bridport - West Bay (Bridport) |
Mon & Weds - Sat. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
59 |
Shaftesbury - Gillingham |
Mon - Sat. Except public holidays. |
Interurban route 2 |
||
|
71 |
Lyme Regis town service |
Mon - Sat. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
74 |
Sherborne - Yetminster - Yeovil |
Mon - Fri. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
88 |
Wimborne circular/Castlepoint |
Mon - Fri. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
97 |
Fordingbridge -Cranborne/Verwood (Ringwood Weds) |
Mon - Fri. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
101 |
Dorchester - Crossways |
Mon - Sat. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
104 |
East Chaldon - Wareham |
Mon - Sat. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
158 |
Shaftesbury - Bourton - Gillingham |
Mon - Fri. Except public holidays. |
Interurban route 2 |
||
|
185 |
Blandford - Blandford Camp |
Mon - Fri. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
187 |
Blandford - Dorchester |
Mon - Fri. Except public holidays. |
Interurban route 5 |
||
|
207 |
Weymouth - Wyke Regis |
Mon - Fri. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
210 |
Bridport - Litton Cheney |
Mon & Weds - Sat. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
211 |
Pounbury/Upwey - Weymouth |
Mon - Fri. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
212 |
Dorchester - Yeovil |
Mon - Fri. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
307 |
Stalbridge - Sturminster Newton - Dorchester |
Mon - Fri. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
309 |
Blandford - Sturminster Newton - Gillingham |
Mon - Fri. Except public holidays. |
Interurban route 4 |
||
|
311 |
Blandford - Dorchester |
Mon - Fri. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
368 |
Blandford - Yeovil |
Mon - Fri. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
D1/D2 |
Dorchester - Town Services |
Mon - Sat. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
D6 |
Pounbury - Dorchester |
Mon - Sat. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
X9 |
Blandford - Shaftesbury - Gillingham |
Mon - Sat. Except public holidays. |
Interurban route 3 |
||
|
X10 |
Blandford - Sturminster Newton - Yeovil |
Mon - Sat. Except public holidays. |
Interurban route 1 |
||
|
X11 |
Dorchester - Sherborne - Yeovil |
Mon - Sat. Except public holidays. |
Interurban route 7 |
||
|
X12 |
Blandford - Weymouth |
Mon - Sat. Except public holidays. |
Interurban route 5 |
||
|
73 |
Powerstock - Bridport |
Mon-Fri. Except public holidays. |
|||
|
158 |
Wincanton - Yeovil |
Mon-Sat. Except public holidays. |
|||
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