A long-running community bus service for elderly residents hailed as a ‘vital lifeline’ has been scrapped due to a lack of funding.

Operators said they were saddened to stop the service but they had no alternative.

The Axe Valley Ring and Ride shuttle served 33 rural communities in west Dorset providing travel to Dorchester, Bridport and further afield.

As previously reported, there were concerns in September last year that the service - provided by a charity - would stop due to a lack of funding.

Dorset Community Transport (DCT) offered its services as an alternative, and after a period of uncertainty local pensioner Alan Williams stepped in to save the service by donating enough money to see its survival until the end of the financial year.

With no further funding available, the charity which runs the service has now stopped the Dorset services. 

The service had been in operation for the past 23 years. 

Elderly residents using the Axe Valley Ring and Ride bus serviceElderly residents using the Axe Valley Ring and Ride bus service (Image: Axe Valley Ring and Ride) The Ring and Ride will still continue what operators describe as a ‘well-supported’ service in East Devon including Uplyme and Lyme Regis.

Residents had been lobbying Dorset Council to support the service for the county, which they had until 2019.

Sue Wilkinson, a local resident who had used the service following her retirement in 2022, said: "I will be very sad to see it go as it is a lifeline for so many people, and I have had some lovely trips with them over the last couple of years.

"I shall really miss it - it's such a shame, but I feared this would happen."

Sandra Ward, chair of the charity for the service, said: “The Axe Valley Ring and Ride service, with sadness, has had to withdraw from Dorset due to funding issues and without funding from Dorset Council, Axe Valley Ring and Ride is unable to continue its services.

“We are extremely sorry to take this course of action, but we have had no alternative.

“We tried so hard to keep the services going, and we have loved the customers we have had throughout the years, but we could not go on any longer without financial support."

According to Mrs Ward, the passengers were informed in late May of the change, and Dorset passengers, except those in Lyme Regis, have been given the details of the Dorset Community Transport group as an alternative option.  

Tim Christian, General Manager at Dorset Community Transport, said: “We were saddened to hear of the loss of services provided by Axe Valley and West Dorset Ring and Ride. We have been approached by a variety of local stakeholders – and concerned passengers – to explore how we might help.

“Our team has evaluated how we could provide transport for Ring and Ride passengers – particularly where our current routes travel near to those affected.  Wherever possible, we’ll try to include these passengers on our existing routes to reduce the impact of Ring and Ride’s closure.  

“Sadly, we are not in a position to simply take over the full Ring and Ride network.  We would urge anyone directly affected by the potential changes to Ring and Ride to contact us so we can see how we might help – either now or in the future.”      

The routes affected by the closure to the Ring and Ride bus serviceThe routes affected by the closure to the Ring and Ride bus service (Image: MapCustomization) The villages affected are on the Zone 3, 5 and 6 of the routes;

Askerswell, Beaminster, Bettiscombe, Broadwindsor, Burstock, Hooke, Mapperton, Mosterton, Netherbury, North Poorton, Pilsdon.

Catherston Leweston, Charmouth, Marshwood, Stanton St Gabriel, Whitchurch Canonicorum, Wootton Fitzpaine.

Allington, Bothenhampton, Bradpole, Bridport, Burton Bradstock, Chideock, Chilcombe, Loders, Puncknowle, Powerstock, Shipton Gorge, Swyre and Symondsbury.

Dorset Council has been approached for comment.