Motoring & Transport | Posted on August 10th, 2022 | return to news
Have your say on improvements to bus services in Dorset
Dorset Council would like residents to fill in a survey saying how they would like bus services to be improved.
Dorset Council is keen to see improved bus services in the county.
The authority submitted a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) to the government and, although a bid for funding was unsuccessful, there will be future funding opportunities which the council will apply for to deliver the plan.
The BSIP will be refreshed annually, and the Council is launching a survey to seek further input from the public on their priorities for better bus services while understanding that funding is limited. It will also be collecting the views of local businesses, tourism and health service providers, and town and parish councils as well as local transport action groups and other stakeholders.
The key aims of the BSIP are to improve public transport in Dorset by
- promoting better use of the existing network
- introducing simpler and better value fares
- providing an easier to understand ticketing system
- providing better connections within the existing transport network
- improving journey times
- exploring alternatives to traditional bus services to enlarge the current network
Cllr Ray Bryan, cabinet portfolio holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said: “Despite the lack of funding from the BSIP bid, Dorset Council will continue to seek ways to improve transport in Dorset. This survey will help Dorset Council to refresh the current BSIP with continuing input from stakeholders contributing to plans for the future.”
Cllr Noc Lacey-Clarke, the cabinet lead for Environment, Travel and Harbours, said: “We are keen to understand peoples’ priorities for transport services in Dorset and I would encourage everyone to fill in this survey so that Dorset can develop a high quality transport network.”
The survey can be completed at https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/bus-survey and the closing date is midnight on 11 September
Printed copies are available from Dorset Council Customer Access Points or you can contact Dorset Council Customer Services on 01305 221000 or by emailing customerservices@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Comments, suggestions, and ideas can be emailed to busbackbetter@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
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I waited at the one bus stop in Martinstown to catch a bus to Dorchester. I understood it was 11 am. Yes there is a bus stop. I was told by a passerby that ‘IF’ there was a bus it was early morning. This is Martinstown. It is a fairly large village. I had to walk home. One cannot walk the narrow winding road , about 1 to 2 miles, to the Monkey Junction roundabout. There are no verges, it is too dangerous.
It is quite ludicrous! Even my friend in her remote village with about 50 houses, Solano, in the Ibores, in Spain has a bus service and people do use it, all the time. Of course if a bus has a noticeable bus stop with a clear time table and a sensible time say 10 am returning at 3 pm on weekdays, I am perfectly sure it would soon become known and used. The bus need only be a mini bus of the type and size of a bus that transports hospital patients. Heavens above, even schools have buses to transport children if a catchment area is some distance. I would say that 3 miles is a catchment and I really think this village and probably others are more than three miles from Dorchester. This should be a lawful requisition, not a profit making outfit. Having said that there is every likelihood that it could break even and even make a profit …..if there was some publicity! At the moment it is a guessing game. The railway services in Dorchester are public services so why are there no connecting public bus services?