"The demand is there": West Dorset residents make a powerful case for better buses
Nearly 700 people don't usually agree on much, but when it comes to buses between Bridport and Dorchester, the message from a major new survey is striking: more services, year-round are needed.
The survey, coordinated by two local Transport Action Groups — WATAG in West Dorset and DTAG in Dorchester — set out to understand how people need to travel along one of the county's busiest rural corridors. The results, published this month, show that over 97% of respondents want more frequent services, with an hourly bus throughout the day being the most popular choice.
Currently, there is a direct service every two hours between Bridport and Dorchester, Monday to Saturday only, with no evening service. In comparison, there's an hourly service from Axminster and Lyme Regis to Bridport. There is a Sunday service during summer months only. It is possible for people in the Dorchester area to get to Bridport, Lyme and Axminster at other times...by changing buses at Weymouth.
For a corridor that connects local communities to the county hospital, two railway stations, and the county town amenities, that is a significant gap.
The report's recommendations are practical and specific: restore an hourly X51 service throughout the day; extend evening departures to at least 9pm; improve rail connections at Dorchester South, particularly for evening arrivals; and investigate the feasibility of Sunday services.
WATAG Chair Nick Hurrell welcomed Dorset Council's recent announcement of a £65 million increase in public transport spending as an opportunity to act on what the survey shows. "The demand is there," he said. Councillor William Gibbons who is also the DTAG bus lead, called it "a very important survey demonstrating the overwhelming case for improvement".
For Poundbury residents who travel regularly into Dorchester — or who rely on the town's connections for onward journeys — better regional bus links matter greatly. The fuller the public transport network around Dorchester, the easier it becomes to travel without a car, in any direction.
The full report is at watag.org.uk.
More information about getting around in the area is here.