Burton loses a bus service

Wilts & Dorset has announced it will no longer route its X12 service through the Burton area of Christchurch.

The decision follows consultation with officers of Dorset County Council and Christchurch Borough Council several weeks ago giving local authorities time to canvass interest from other local operators to run a replacement service. It is understood that no other local bus operator is willing to take over the route.

Alex Carter, managing director at Wilts & Dorset said that the company regrets having to withdraw the link to Burton: “Economic conditions are such that we are unable to continue operating this section of X12 route.  Not only is it not viable, partly due to the low rates we receive from the under-funded Over Sixties concessionary scheme, we also face a very real threat of a hefty fine from the traffic commissioner as traffic congestion makes it near impossible to run the service to the timetable.”

The X12 will be withdrawn from Burton on 24 May leaving the village with just the Hampshire County Council sponsored 175/176 route which provides eight journeys a day each way to Ringwood and Christchurch via Bransgore.

The X12 route between Lymington, New Milton, Christchurch and Bournemouth will continue to operate unchanged.