A STORM of protest has erupted over soaring new First Southern National bus fares which come into force in the Weymouth, Dorchester and Bridport areas next week.

Passengers in Weymouth must also get to grips with a new zonal pricing system which charges bus fares according to how many zones the traveller passes through.

The pumped up prices from the town centre include a 30-50 per cent increase on return fares to Littlemoor Shopping Centre, a 23-42 per cent increase on return fares to Preston and a 30 per cent increase on return fares to Easton Square, Portland. There is also a 25 per cent increase on return fares to Hereford Road and a 10-20 per cent increase on return fares to Chickerell.

In West Dorset the bus firm intends to raise its fares by about 10 per cent.

The increases, from Tuesday, have drawn a furious response from pensioners, councillors and transport and trade groups, but First Southern National claims the rises are long-overdue and are needed to help improve the quality of bus services.

But Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bill White said: "It is calamitous.

"I have great concerns about how this will affect the regeneration of our town, about Portland which has already suffered so much and about the surrounding areas such as Chickerell, Littlemoor and Preston which rely on buses so much because they are outlying areas. What makes it even worse is that we want people from these areas to rely on buses so we can keep cars out of town, a policy these new fares are threatening to torpedo.

"It has the potential to be a disaster for the town and, if fares are brought in at these levels, it poses a major threat to key transport policies."

Wendy Hilton of Dorchester Age Concern said: "We are very concerned because pensioners, many of whom are on low incomes, often don't have cars and have to rely on public transport, so high rises such as these will eat even further into their pensions.

"It would also have been useful if First Southern National had explained that there were going to be fare rises much further in advance and in much more detail."

Environment committee chairman Coun Jim Churchouse said: "Our idea has been to forge a partnership with First Southern National to keep each other informed of the latest transport situation, but these rises quite clearly fly in the face of that because we knew nothing about them.

"We are trying to get people out of their cars and into buses and clearly these new fares go against the whole over bus firm's plan to increase fares concept of doing this. We understand that the bus company has to make a reasonable profit but some of the increases are way above the level of inflation and risk driving people away from routes where the heaviest increases are being brought in.

"We should have been informed of the increases and we want urgent talks with First Southern National because the new fares clearly go against local and national transport policy."

David Redgewell of pressure group Transport 2000 said there were two ways of investing in public transport.

He added: "Firstly through the fares box which is not popular with passengers and secondly in partnership with the Government and local authorities.

"We accept the need for improvements to Weymouth's bus fleet, but it would be better to fund this through talks about Government grants rather than hitting passengers in the pocket."

He urged First Southern National to hold talks with the county and borough councils, the Government and the Regional Development Agency. He added: "We need a strong bus system, but talks should be held before these increases are brought in."

First Southern National Commercial Manager Chris Simes said the increases had been brought in to help fund the rising costs of spare parts and materials faced by the company.

He added: "The low fare base in existence over the past few years has meant that Southern National has been unable to invest in its operation, particularly in the Weymouth area. The increases will give us the opportunity of improving the quality of service provided.

"A general increase of up to 10 per cent will apply to fares in the Bridport, Dorchester and West Dorset areas.

"In the Weymouth area a new zonal fares scheme will be introduced which will simplify the existing system while, at the same time, attempting to correct the past criticism that similar length journeys were charged differing fares. Some return fares can be reduced by using an unlimited travel ticket.

"Now customers travelling similar distances will be charged the same fare no matter which service they use.

"Customers will obviously not be pleased to hear about the increases but they are necessary to improve the quality of bus services."

The new Weymouth zone system stretches from town centre zone one out to zone two covering areas such as Westham and Buxton Road, zone three covering Preston, Littlemoor and most of Wyke, zone four covering Chickerell and Portland stops such as Castletown and Victoria Square and zone five covering Easton, Southwell and Portland Bill.