A cross-county bus service faces an uncertain future with the current operator set to de-register the route at the end of October.

Buses of Somerset has notified the Office of the Traffic Commissioner that they plan to ditch the number 6 service that runs from Bridport to Yeovil after passenger numbers were “hit hard” by the pandemic.

Some of the journeys are subcontracted by Buses of Somerset to First Wessex and those services will also end at the same time.

Dorset Council said they remain “fully supportive” of the route and will look to work with local transport action groups to create a new service “that is fit for purpose and sustainable into the future”.

Bob Driscoll, committee member of Western Area Transport Action Group (WATAG), said the group would be keen to provide input regarding the future of the route.

He said: “We have made suggestions over the years about how the service could be improved and we are realistic about levels of service so, of course, we very much welcome the opportunity to have input into the specification of any future service.”

“It’s more than just a bus route, really, we’re all encouraged to be taking public transport and to remove or reduce the service completely ignores the environmental impact, it completely ignores the social impact that it has on people who get the bus.

“We very much believe in trying to get the passenger levels back up to a sustainable level: places like Beaminster have no alternative at all if this service gets scaled back - it is the only regular bus through some of our rural villages.”

A contract for the new service will be put out to tender to local bus operators so that the service can continue.

Councillor Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said: “It was hoped that passenger numbers would improve as we exited the pandemic, but there has not been enough of a rise to cover the costs of running the service.

“We are unable to keep extending our contract with Buses of Somerset as we have reached our regulatory limits, and the Council did not receive any funding for our Bus Service Improvement Plan. Therefore we will have to work within existing funding levels.

“We are fully aware of the challenges of improving bus travel across Dorset, and I intend to use every opportunity to find solutions that make bus services more attractive, cheaper, easier to use, faster, more reliable, and greener.

“We will work with local bus operators, key stakeholders, passengers and partners to build a sustainable travel offering in this area that puts the passenger first.”