Town bus withdrawn after council contract change

The school coach doubled as the town's bus service

A bus serving a Dorset seaside town is being withdrawn after a change in council contracts.

The 71 Lyme Regis town bus, operated by Damory, was linked to a school bus but served the town between school drop-off and pick-up times.

Dorset Council has now awarded the school contract to Dorset Community Transport.

Lyme Regis Town Council said it was doing "everything it can" to find a replacement service.

The 71 bus had been contracted by Dorset Council to take children to Charmouth Primary School.

Lyme Regis Town Council had a separate agreement to use the same vehicle during the day to transport residents from the north of the town to the square and the medical centre.

But Dorset Council said it could no longer justify taking the children to school by coach and contracted a minibus from September.

Dorset councillor for Lyme Regis and Charmouth, Belinda Bawden, said: "Sadly the operator that Dorset Council chose for the school transport service was unable to offer the town council a town bus service so the town council has been talking to other operators and is determined to fulfil the service as well as it can."

The town council had been funding the town bus service at a cost of more than £16,000 a year.

Ms Bawden, a Green councillor who was previously on the town council, said any solution was going to cost more money but added there had been "a potential offer" of a minibus and volunteer driver as a "stop-gap measure".

She said: "We are very keen to make sure our residents have the opportunity to travel on a reliable public bus service within the town and to other connections - the local railway station for example."