A new community bus link is launching in west Dorset to fill a gap after county council services were cut.

The service is to be reintroduced later this month, aiming to fulfil a public transport need and reduce social isolation.

Service 7 (Bridport Local) will start on August 22, and will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays for a six-month trial period across Bridport, West Bay, Bothenhampton, Lower Walditch, Bradpole and Allington.

First Wessex will run the service under contract to Bridport Town Council, with a £2 single/£3 return fare. Concessionary passes can be used, and while buses will stop at all First Wessex stops, they can also be hailed along the route.

The initiative has been championed by a working group of town and parish councils, the Bridport Local Area Partnership and the Western Area Transport Action Group, and is a response to the withdrawal of services previously subsidised by Dorset County Council.

Bridport Town Clerk Will Austin said the group was keen to see the service fulfil a social function.

The trial period will show whether or not the service can be sustained in the long run, and concessionary pass users will be encouraged to help meet the cost.

“It’s very much a ‘use it or lose it service”, said Mr Austin.

Timetables and route maps will be available from local outlets including Bridport’s Bus Station and TIC, and will be circulated for display at visitor attractions and on local noticeboards.