WE were dismayed to hear recently (by word of mouth), of the new bus timetable for Bransgore. This was tucked away on the Internet (which some of us do not have), with no other warning.

There are now fewer buses on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and none on Tuesdays or Thursdays.

Those without cars rely on the buses and most cannot afford taxis.

This group includes the elderly, youngsters, and some who need them to get to and from work.

By drastically cutting the bus services and keeping the fares high, very elderly drivers are encouraged to keep driving, when for safety’s sake they should be giving up and others to give up their recreations in Christchurch or Ringwood or, worse, give up their jobs. Taxi fares are out of the question for the average person.

Also inevitably, more and more cars on the roads, means more accidents and in the long run more costs for the NHS, besides more damage to the environment.

I would be prepared to pay a little more tax, to help preserve our bus services, but presumably, for those with cars, this would not be popular.

I wrote to both the Head of the District Council and to the Manager of Wilts and Dorset Bus Company, neither of whom have replied. They, of course, do not rely on buses to get around.

J E BRIDGES, Betsy Close, Bransgore, Christchurch