REDUNDANCIES are to be made at a Weymouth bus company following a shake-up in school transport contracts by the county council.

The blow to Barry’s Coaches Limited means that drivers at the long-standing school transport provider, which has had contracts with the council since 1978, are facing job losses.

However, the bad news for the Weymouth company has resulted in a boost for Blandford-based company Damory, which was successful in contract selection.

Damory Coaches is now recruiting for 100 jobs and a spokesman said drivers from south Dorset would be able to operate from its new Dorchester station.

Dorset County Council bosses blame soaring transport costs for forcing changes in school transport.

The authority has retendered for its public transport services and school services, increased concessionary fares for school buses and made fewer seats available as part of a cutback programme that aims to save more than £55million over the next three years.

A spokesman for Barry’s Coaches Limited, which is based in Cambridge Road, Weymouth said: “There are going to be some redundancies.

“We haven’t made a decision of how many. We’re obviously disappointed and have to work out what’s going to happen.

“We’ve had the original contracts with the county council since 1978.”

First Bus and Weymouth’s Bluebird Coaches also used to provide the school transport service, along with Barry’s Coaches.

A spokesman for Bluebird Coaches refused to comment.

A First Bus Company spokesman said: “We have no immediate plans to change staffing levels.”

Damory Coaches has launched a recruitment campaign to employ 100 new drivers.

A spokesman said: “Adverts have gone out in all the local papers and we’ve had several applications from Weymouth drivers, from First buses and different firms.

“We’re still interviewing and if anyone would like to give us a call we’d be happy to send out application forms.

“We’re based in Blandford but we have outstations in Dorchester, Henstridge and Ringwood.”

FURIOUS parents hit out at plans to almost double school bus fares when they were first revealed in June.

They claim that as well as paying £400 per child the youngsters will be limited to one particular bus and will have to pay extra if they stay behind to take part in after-school clubs.

Parents say they are astounded at the plans which they say will hit working families the hardest.

Dorset County Council claims that soaring transport costs are to blame for the changes.

A spokesman said the ‘innovative project to fundamentally change the way the council works with transport providers’ aims to create ‘longer term business based partnerships and deliver better value for money.’ The biggest changes will be to the council’s concessionary scheme where parents, whose children are not entitled to free transport, can buy spare seats on contracted coaches.

Students entitled to free school transport will still get it.

The cost of a concessionary seat has risen from £250 to £400 a year per child. This will be paid in eight monthly installments of £50 from August to next March.

Also, there will be fewer seats available for children as the number of concessionary seats available are being decreased and some school bus routes will no longer offer them.

A Dorset County Council spokesman said: “Our statutory duty is to provide free school transport for those who are entitled to it and, as part of the review, we’ve had to reduce the size of some buses and make changes to some routes.

“Unfortunately, this means there are fewer concessionary seats available and, on some routes, no concessionary seats at all. Last year we had just over 2,000 concessionary seats available and this has now been reduced to around 1,000.

“Applications were therefore prioritised against strict criteria, taking into account factors such as disability, special educational needs and medical conditions.

“Those that cannot be offered a seat will be placed on a waiting list. If limited seats are available then preference will be given to those living furthest from the school as measured by the shortest available walking route.”