BOSSES at Yellow Buses have insisted no one will lose access to services in a major shake-up – except for the “low numbers” who were taking a bus to Ferndown Industrial Estate.

The company is to introduce the biggest shake-up to its services in a decade next month.

It has unveiled a map of the key routes, with more details to follow in the coming weeks, but full timetables will not emerge until after Christmas.

UPDATE: Although Yellow Buses say they cannot yet provide details of the timetables, all the new routes have been  registered.

If you go to Traveline and search under 'Yellow Buses' as operator, some of the new timetables appear under the existing timetables. We would very much appreciate your help highlighting any changes - email digital@bournemouthecho.co.uk to let us know how it affects your journey.

The company will offer new routes to Verwood and Ringwood, as well as bringing back a service to Mudeford.

It will also run early and late services to suit shift workers at Bournemouth and Poole town centres and Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

Yellow Buses commercial director Paul Wren said: “We carry almost 15million passengers a year and every passenger has a different experience but we’ve tried to make sure everybody can still travel.

“There are going to be changes. For some people it might mean they leave at a different time. It may be that there’s an easier journey.”

He said a complete timetable would be published in January, before the introduction of the new routes on January 15. Information would be posted at all 1,200 stops.

“What we’re doing is creating a more punctual and reliable timetable. That will mean timetable changes. We’re working with the local authorities and the Local Enterprise Partnership to fund schemes to reduce congestion and reduce waiting,” he said.

The timetables would show some journeys getting longer, to reflect the growing lengthening time.

“Bournemouth has been ranked as the most congested town in the UK and we want to make sure our timetable reflects reality,” he added.

An outline of the routes divides them into eight colour-coded “lines”: Bourneline, Royalline, Villageline, Prioryline, Uniline, Coastline, Dolphinline and Heathline. All route numbers will change except for four services subsidised by the Borough of Poole and Bournemouth Borough Council.

The company says the review was based on extensive research among passengers.

Managing director Andrew Smith said: “We’ve had professional people come in to research and give us advice on how we can best run a network for the South East Dorset conurbation.”

Changes include the end of the through service between Christchurch and Poole. The company said few people travelled the whole way and the length of the route made it unreliable because of congestion.

It says Christchurch passengers will instead have a more reliable, high frequency service to Bournemouth and will be able to connect with a Poole service at Iford, Pokesdown, Boscombe or Bournemouth.

Boscombe will get a more frequent service to Castlepoint.

Ferndown Industrial Estate loses its buses. “There have been quite low numbers of passengers using the service,” said Mr Wren.

“We’re a commercial company so that location will not be served by Yellow Buses but every other location will be.”