MORE than 500 people signed a petition against cuts to bus services in Dorset.

The West and South Dorset Green Party petition urges council chiefs to reconsider the proposed cuts to bus service subsidies.

Young Green party member Luke Scott and party press officer Jane Burnet delivered the document to County Hall in Dorchester.

Mr Scott said: “We know that a lot of people who will be affected by these cuts do not have easy access to computers.

“We thought we should give them a chance to have their say which is why we took the petition to various towns in west and south Dorset.”

The petition has been on the Green Party website for four weeks and the 'Young Greens' have also been to Swanage, Lyme Regis and Weymouth collecting signatures.

It was set up after party members consulted the London based organisation Campaign for Better Transport.

Ms Burnet added: “Martin Abrams, of this organisation, told us the cuts were some of the worst he had seen in rural areas anywhere in the country, so we felt we had to act.”

The petition was established after the official consultation period ended to give residents an extended opportunity to comment.

Dorset County Council will make their final decision on November 6.

Ms Burnet said: “Good public transport and safe flows of traffic are an essential part of our communications infrastructure and it is imperative to ensure all decisions produce results that encourage easy, environmentally safe movement around our towns and villages.

So even though the petition has now been removed from our website, we intend to continue with our efforts to achieve these goals.”

Clare Sutton, of the Green Party, said a survey carried in Rodwell earlier this year showed huge levels of concern about the junctions at Boot Hill and Asda.

She said: “We are aware that Dorset County Council is considering holding a public meeting to hear people's concerns about traffic in Weymouth and we strongly urge them to do so.”