A blind passenger who relies upon a bus to travel from his home to the town centre has told of his anger at the route being axed.

Dan Parker, 30, is registered blind, and depends upon the scrapped number 3 Westham bus service to travel to Weymouth town centre.

Earlier this month First Hampshire and Dorset, which operates the service, said the decision to withdraw it in May of this year is a financial one.

Dan, who lost his vision completely two and half years ago due to pars planitis, lives with his wife Chelsea, 32, and their dog Bella in Bedford Road, Westham.

As reported, Chelsea has set up an online petition to keep the number 3 service, because, she says, Dan and so many elderly and disabled residents need the bus to retain their independence.

Dan catches the Westham bus, which stops a few yards from his home, to either go shopping in town or visit his mother.

He has suffered from depression and said not having the bus service would change his life ‘dramatically'.

“I try to blend in and not make people think, ‘this is the blind guy’. I like to try and be like I used to be like. It was inevitable that I was going to end up blind from a young age but I try and deal with it the best way I can,” he said.

When he still had some vision Dan would work cleaning caravans, would love going to the gym and playing online games.

Now he is highly dependent on his wife Chelsea, his full-time carer, but gained some independence catching the number 3 bus while using his cane.

“People out there might say why can’t you catch the number 8 bus which goes to town but it’s a 10 minute walk away and it’s hard for me to go far as I’ve broken my cane before if I’m unfamiliar with what’s around me.

“I’m so angry and disappointed by this decision,” he said.

Chelsea, who is originally from Canada, is calling for as many people as possible to sign her petition.

“It’s not fair of First to discriminate against the elderly and the disabled and all those who are eligible for free bus passes saying it’s a financial decision,” she said.

“I don’t drive and without the bus our only option would be to get a taxi into town which we can’t afford, especially with the cost-of-living being what it is.

“I’m not going to back down from fighting this until something gets done about it.”

You can sign Chelsea’s online petition at www.change.org/p/stop-the-number-3-bus-from-cancelling