BUS passengers have created a petition opposing a timetable change that stops them getting to work on time.

Brian Donnelly, 57, of Littlemoor, Weymouth, relies on First’s X53 Jurassic Coast bus to travel from Weymouth to the Dorset Green Technology Park in Winfrith every day to work as a cleaner.

He catches it from Preston Road at 7.30am and it arrives before 8am.

Under the changes, the first bus of the day will leave Weymouth an hour later.

The 7.30am bus will be scrapped from March 24 as part of county-wide changes First is making to its network.

Mr Donnelly says a later bus will be too late for people who use the service to get to work and school.

He said: “There are some apprentices who go to Wareham and some school pupils who go to Poole.

“Nobody told us about it. If we had known earlier we could have sorted something out.”

Mr Donnolly, who cleans at Serco, said he has been offered a change in hours by his boss for when the timetable changes.

He said: “I’m lucky because I can work flexible hours but the change has really put a spanner in the works for some people.

“There are apprentices who are on apprentice wages and they can’t afford to get cars or take the train.

“People are worried they’re going to lose their jobs. They don’t know what they’re going to do. There are school students who don’t know how they’re going to get to school “I’ve been getting people on the bus to sign the petition to try and save the 7.30am bus.

“I could just say I’m not bothered and leave it, but we don’t have a bus and there are people who really need it so I have to try and save it.

“People have to work in Winfrith.

“There are no jobs in Weymouth.

“We call the 7.30am bus the work bus.

“They say to people ‘get a job and don’t stay on benefits’, but if you can’t get to work on time how can you keep a job?”

South Dorset MP Richard Drax said he is working with councillors to help all bus passengers in his constituency who are affected by the timetable changes.

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He said: “We will do all we can to talk with First to persuade them to look at this.

“It’s an argument we will put forward. We live in the sticks and many people rely on the bus to get to places.

“The situation is unsatisfactory.

“I concur with a lot of people I’ve spoken to.

“If this bus goes it means people will not be able to get to work.”

Move to save local authority cash

A FIRST spokesman said: “We can confirm that the timetable for Service X53 is being altered from March 24 with some early morning journeys removed. “The service is currently supported by the local authority; however from March 24, First will begin operating it on a commercial basis. The latter will save the local authority money. “Coinciding with the change – which sees the route go from being a fully supported service to becoming completely commercial – the timetable is being altered. “Specifically those journeys which are underused, and which do not carry enough people to make them commercially sustainable, have been removed.

“In making this change we have spoken to the local authority, giving them the option, if they wish, to support one or two early morning journeys. The council may decide to do this if it considers them socially necessary.

“We are currently waiting to hear back from them in this regard.”