BUS users in Weymouth and Portland have said 'enough is enough' after services have arrived late or have been cancelled altogether.

It comes after concerns have been raised about elderly and disabled public transport users travelling across Weymouth and the surrounding area having to wait longer than expected in cold weather conditions due to late services run by First group.

The bus company has blamed driver shortages and traffic congestion on the problems.

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Dorset Echo: Timetable. Picture: Sam McKeownTimetable. Picture: Sam McKeown

Mike Kelly, president of the Weymouth and Portland Access Group raised concerns about disabled people, who heavily rely on public transport.

He said: "Progress has been made with bus services, particularly with First in relation to accessibility for the disabled and people with sight issues.

"However, there has been concerns about buses being cancelled and late, which is due to a shortage of drivers. Some of the real-time information is often wrong - and buses don't arrive when they're suppose to.

"Living by the coast, it gets windy and many people waiting for a service are exposed to the elements during the colder months.

"Even during the summer, I spoke to a woman who fainted after standing up in the heat waiting for a late bus on the Esplanade.

"For disabled people, these issues can be very challenging."

Dorset Echo: Mike Kelly, president of the Weymouth and Portland Access Group raised concerns about disabled people, who heavily rely on public transportMike Kelly, president of the Weymouth and Portland Access Group raised concerns about disabled people, who heavily rely on public transport

Pete Taylor, 79, who lives in Wheatlands on Portland, said: "I get the number one bus on Tuesday and Wednesdays and it's inconsistent and very often not to timetable.

"Buses listed as cancelled turn up early and turn out to be the previous running late.

I've seen job advertisements for new drivers when I ride the bus, so I know they are short of staff, but this has been going on for years and before the pandemic.

" Enough is enough. The bus company needs to start meeting its obligation because a lot of users are pensioners like myself waiting too long for buses out in the cold."

Dorset Echo: The number one First bus at Weymouth's Esplanade bus stop. Picture: Sam McKeownThe number one First bus at Weymouth's Esplanade bus stop. Picture: Sam McKeown

Harry Mitchell, 18, who lives in Easton on Portland, said: "I regularly get the number one First bus from Portland to Dorchester and they're supposed to be every 15 minutes. The bus is always late or it's often cancelled.

"Buses from Dorchester run way less than Portland buses too, which is an issue because I study at Thomas Hardye.

"It's frustrating travelling from Portland to Dorchester on an unreliable bus service, which often gets cancelled."

Dorset Echo: Mike Kelly, president of the Weymouth and Portland Access GroupMike Kelly, president of the Weymouth and Portland Access Group

A spokeswoman for First Hampshire Dorset and Berkshire, said: "Driver shortages, staff absence because of Covid-19, and traffic congestion are all affecting services in the Weymouth area.

"As is being experienced across the bus industry, we have seen varying levels of driver shortages recently, similar to other road transport businesses.

"In addition, recently there were roadworks in Wyke Regis which caused significant delays to service 1 between Weymouth and Portland.

"We're doing everything we can to maintain services.

"The majority of routes are running normally although we have made temporary timetable adjustments to ensure a reliable service and minimise disruption.

"When a journey is cancelled, we do show this in our customer app, and customers are also updated using our Twitter feed.

"However, we do not operate or maintain the real time information system, which is managed by Dorset Council.

"We will liaise with them over any issues. We continue to monitor and review our network and would like to thank customers for their patience and understanding while we overcome this short-term situation."