A ROW has erupted over a “relief” Olympic bus service at Bournemouth railway station in case trains break down on their way to Weymouth.

Fourteen drivers have been employed by Stagecoach to provide the “rail replacement service” with seven double-decker Stagecoach buses parked up for a fortnight and drivers on stand-by 17 hours a day.

A Stagecoach employee at the station, who did not want to be named, said: “Drivers are just on stand-by; it is purely a precautionary measure.”

But taxi driver Jeremy Everingham, 45, said: “Bus drivers are just sitting there all day, doing nothing.

“What a waste of money; but I suppose they could be needed if a train breaks down.

“There aren’t many people around; it’s actually quieter than normal and I haven’t had a single fare for Weymouth.”

Ashley Miller, chairman of the Bournemouth Station Taxi Association, said: “I haven’t seen a coach leaving the station since they arrived. It’s over-the-top.”

South West Trains had warned that there could be an extra 80,000 passengers a day on its network during the Games with up to 40 per cent extra capacity.

The company's advice is that the park and ride is the preferred option for travelling to Weymouth.

Visitors to Weymouth and Portland are being offered free parking today and every afternoon and evening for the rest of the Games at the Monkey’s Jump site, Dorchester.

Angus Campbell, chairman of Dorset’s Olympic Board said: “There has not been as many visitors to Weymouth as originally planned for and we are doing what we can to encourage people to come to the town.”

Weymouth and Portland councillor Ian Bruce urged Bournemouth and Poole residents to come and “soak up the wonderful Olympic atmosphere.”

A South West Trains spokesperson said: “Our passengers are our priority and we have invested time, resources and money in making sure we are fully prepared for the 2012 Games.

“We have detailed plans in place which have used forecasts from Transport for London and the Olympic Delivery Authority to make sure we are best placed to meet the predicted passenger volumes.

“This includes flexible contingency arrangements agreed with other rail and transport operators to ensure we can respond to changes in demand.”