THE firm that owns part of Poole Bus Station insists it is committed to continue running services from the transport hub after a rival company announced they would stop using the site due to anti-social behaviour issues.

Bosses at Morebus have spoken out following reports earlier this week that competitor Yellow Buses would be moving routes away from the facility next to the Dolphin Centre to the railway station.

Yellow Buses said they had been concerned about problems in the bus station for “some time” and for the “safety and comfort of customers and staff”.

However, both Morebus, who own a portion of the bus station, and leaders at BCP Council, who own the passenger waiting area and canopy, said they had not been approached by managers from Yellow Buses about the situation.

David Lee-Kong, Morebus operations director, said: “We are committed to serving those who live and work in Poole - as well as those who are visiting the area. The bus station is the most convenient point in the town for our customers and, for this reason, we will continue to operate our buses from here. We have a duty to keep our drivers and customers safe. Whilst we are well aware of the issues regarding anti-social behaviour at the bus station, we have been working with Dorset Police and BCP Council - resulting in a significant reduction in incidents since last summer.

“I am sorry to learn that Yellow Buses will no longer be using the bus station. To date, the operator has not approached us with any specific concerns or issues here.”

Councillor Andy Hadley, BCP Council portfolio holder for transport, said multi-agency work was being carried out to attempt to resolve the issues in and around the bus station.

“It is disappointing because they (Yellow Buses) have not given us any warning on this,” said Cllr Hadley. "The move to the railway station is obviously good for railway users but most people are coming to Poole town centre to visit the hospital or the Dolphin Centre. It is in their control do that. The bus station is owned by Morebus.

“Part of what we are looking at it is how will the bus station be used in the long term.”

Some residents do not feel the bus station is a nice place but work is being done to address these concerns, said Cllr Hadley.

He said: “We are planning to go out for a masterplan about how we could improve the area. One of our concerns is to make sure we are not just making plans without delivering anything. We are trying to resolve the issue around anti-social behaviour. We recognise the need to improve the forecourt and the area of the bus station in the short term.”