AN AMUSING play helped highlight a serious issue as feelings about bus cuts were shared in Bridport.

Campaigners were out in the West Dorset town today highlighting their efforts to preserve the county’s rural bus links.

Members of Dorset’s Bus Action Group were joined by performers from Cartoon Action Theatre, who put on their short play called The Amazing Disappearing 31 Bus Show.

The campaigners were busy talking to people about the threat to buses in the county, handing out their ‘mini manifesto’ and getting members of the public to sign a petition that they hope to take to Dorset County Council in the coming weeks.

Bridport town, district and county councillor Ros Kayes has been supporting the efforts and recently saw a motion calling for the county council to increase its funding for bus services in Dorset defeated.

However, she said despite the motion failing the campaign is stepping up a gear and she hopes the council will sit up and take notice both of the manifesto and the petition.

Cllr Kayes said: “It’s funny because even people who don’t use buses want to keep them and there was a lot of support today.

“We printed up our little mini manifesto documents and people were taking them away, they were also signing the petition.

“We want to take the campaign up a gear really because we want this manifesto document to be considered as part of the council’s holistic transport review.

“What we really want to achieve is for the county council to recognise that it needs a quality contract where it can statutorily oblige bus companies to keep running at certain times of the day.

“At the moment they have not been prepared to do that.”

Cllr Kayes said that the Cartoon Action Theatre play, which was also performed earlier this month at County Hall in Dorchester, was ‘getting better and better’ and went down well with people in Bridport.

She said that further events are planned around the county to attract further support and it is hoped the petition can go before the county council, either at this month’s full council meeting or at the next available date.

Cllr Kayes said: “It’s just getting a huge amount of support from across the board, from people from all walks of life.”