WIMBORNE residents left “stranded” after bus services were cut have suffered another blow.

As reported in the Daily Echo, more than 200 people living in the Wimborne Road West and Leigh Road area signed a petition calling for a bus service to be reinstated in 2013.

Their call was heard by independent Ringwood company Gardbus, which in September last year confirmed it would take on the route.

Shortly afterwards, bosses at Yellow Buses said they would also run a service from November 3.

However, just 12 months later, the Bournemouth-based company has made the decision to cut that service too.

Dorset County councillor Janet Dover, pictured, said: “I’m very sad to say that this service is soon to stop.

“I have taken phone calls from a number of residents very concerned about being left stranded again, and a petition is being circulated.”

Both of the companies had been running their buses without a Dorset County Council subsidy.

Gardbus will continue to run its regular service, the 132, every two hours from Monday to Friday.

The 4D, run by Yellow Buses, currently travels from Moordown via Ferndown to Canford Bottom via Wimborne Road West and Leigh Road.

Mark Ambler, head of network development at the company, said: “We have done significant marketing to try and develop the service and encourage patronage but, despite our best efforts, the 4D is not commercially viable with the current passenger numbers.”

He added that the company has “no choice but to withdraw the service”.

"However, we're very pleased to be offering an enhanced 4C route to our customers in West Moors, Tricketts Cross, Ferndown and Parley which will see services increase to every 30 minutes from November 2,” he said.

Full details about the new 4C timetable will be available on the Yellows' website at bybus.co.uk from the week beginning Monday October 20.