A PETITION almost 400 signatures strong has been presented to Bournemouth council opposing the axing of subsidy to a bus route.

The council has cut £35,000 that was used to support three Yellow Buses’ routes – the number 20, 24, and 36.

The company implemented the changes on Sunday.

Resident Dr Lynn Birnie said she had collected a petition signed by almost 400 residents against the alteration to the number 20 route.

It used to pass along Glenferness Avenue and East Avenue, then go up through Winton.

Now it will take a winding route through eastern Charminster including Wellington Road and Richmond Park Road.

Dr Birnie said the bus would miss Talbot Heath and no longer pass close to several doctors’ surgeries.

“It makes no sense to us,” she said.

“It feels like we are losing the bus completely.

“People are quite outraged. We have a petition signed by almost 400 people that has been handed into the head of Yellow Buses and council’s transport manager.”

Jenni Wilkinson, head of marketing at Yellow Buses, said: “Route 20 simply does carry not enough passengers for it to be operated on a commercial basis.”

Cllr John Beesley, cabinet member for resources, said: “We’re using the bus subsidy to support the routes that are used the most.

“We’ve taken great care to minimise the impact and, with the exceptions of East Avenue and Brassey Road, have been able to keep services available.”

The council said to reduce the impact on Talbot Woods, a revised 36 route will operate hourly rather than every two hours serving Glenferness Avenue and Branksome Wood Road.

Talbot Woods residents who changed at Castlepoint for connections to Royal Bournemouth Hospital can now reach the hospital via the town centre.