An East Dorset councillor has called for improvements to bus services in the area.
Cllr Barry Goringe says that the 7,600 residents in his ward, St Leonards & St Ives, are isolated if they cannot drive.
He says that almost 40 per cent of residents in the area are older than retirement age, higher than the Dorset average of 29per cent, yet the area only has one bus, the No. 38, which runs from Ringwood to Ferndown.
Cllr Goringe says that the last bus currently leaves Ferndown at 13:10 and Ringwood at 13:50 then the goes on to be used for the school run.
“My residents who need to visit Poole or Bournemouth hospitals or their doctor’s surgeries in either Ringwood or Ferndown and have afternoon appointments have no way of getting back home from Ferndown or Ringwood by bus.
“Their only option is a taxi at a cost of about £15, or to walk. The distance from Ferndown is nearly 4 miles or from Ringwood over 2 miles and at this time of the year this would be in the dark.”
He asked the December Dorset Council meeting for a share of the recent Government grant of £3.8m to improve public transport, to be used to extend the No 38 service to at least 5pm during weekdays.
Portfolio holder Cllr Jon Andrews, whose highways brief includes buses, said that, as yet, there were no details about how the Government money could be spent – with any changes needed to be discussed and agreed with the commercial operators of the route, if help could be offered.
He has set up a working group to look at Public Transport which will report its recommendations in the New Year.