A huge Thank You to the 4,500 people who signed my petition to save our local bus services and to all those who collected signatures.

This is the largest petition, that I am aware of, to have ever been presented to the County Council.

It has had some effect, but alas, not enough.

In West Dorset that meant just keeping the X11 between Dorchester-Sherborne-Yeovil and a new 12 service to replace the X12 and 187 between Dorchester-Blandford.  All other supported services would come to an end.

Since then the following six services have been saved in some form – the 1, 2 and 6 Dorchester town services, the 40 from Bridport-Yeovil, the 71 Lyme Regis town service and the 101 which has been replaced by the new 5 service.

That still leaves the following services coming to an end this weekend.

44                Bridport – West Bay

73                Bridport – Powerstock

74                Sherborne – Yetminster – Yeovil

210              Bridport – Litton Cheney

211              Poundbury – Weymouth

212              Dorchester – Yeovil

307              Dorchester – Sturminster Newton

311              Dorchester – Blandford

368              Blandford – Sherborne – Yeovil

These cuts will leave hundreds of people facing rural isolation.  Many people who don’t have access to a car will be unable to get to the shops or attend medical appointments.  At best they will become reliant on volunteers to drive them or pay a hefty charge to a taxi company.

And the advice that some Conservative Councillors have been giving people?  “Sell your house and move to a town!”  This shows their complete lack of understanding or empathy.

Clearly it isn’t just Theresa May who is out of touch with the British people.  It’s no wonder that the Conservatives did so badly in the recent General Election!