MORE buses will be running on strike days in Weymouth from today, First Dorset has said.

Today is the fifteenth day of industrial action taken by Weymouth and Bridport drivers since the action began in the middle of June.

The company is locked in a dispute with the Unite union with the action related to a long running pay dispute.

Drivers say it is unfair that they earn less than their counterparts in other branches of First Group and feel like “poor relations”.

As well as strikes today and Sunday, new strike dates which will take the dispute into a fifth week are Monday 18 July, Wednesday 20 July, Friday 22 July, Saturday 23 July, Sunday 24 July.

Using managers from across the business, drivers from other parts of the UK and over a third of the staff from Dorset who have chosen to return to work, First Dorset says it has been able to operate around 90 per cent of the normal service on strike days.

From Friday 15 July, and on all subsequent weekday strike days moving forward, First Dorset will run the following additional journeys on Service 2 (Weymouth – Littemoor via Radipole Spa, Dorchester Road and Broadwey):

In the morning: From Weymouth Kings Statue: 0526 hours, 0604 hours and 0642 hours, From Littlemoor, Buddleia Close: 0542 hours, 0620 hours and 0658 hours In the evening: From Weymouth, Kings Statue: 1910 hours and then hourly until the last bus at 2310 hours From Littlemoor, Buddleia Close: 1926 hours, 2026 hours, 2126 hours and 2226 hours.

In addition, the company will also be adding in more journeys on Sundays for the height of the summer season. From Sunday 17th July, First Dorset will operate its open top buses on Service 501 to Portland Bill every hour. Buses will leave Weymouth King Statue between 0940 and 1740 hours, while from Portland Bill buses will leave hourly between 1035 and 1835.

Customers wanting more information about the services running during the industrial action can contact First Bus’ Customer Services Team, email ContactDorset@firstgroup.com or telephone 0345 6020121.

Service provision for forthcoming strike days: Monday – Saturday 

•Service 1 (Weymouth to Portland): Operating around every 10 minutes from 07.00 until 19.00. Plus extra early morning journeys from Weymouth to Portland at 0510, 0603, 0623 and 0642, plus their returns back from Portland to Weymouth. Also late journeys to Portland from Weymouth at 2010, 2110, 2210, 2310, 0010

•Service 2 (Weymouth to Park & Ride and Littlemoor): Operating every 10 minutes between 07.00 and 19.00. In addition First will run the following journeys, from Weymouth Kings Statue: 0526 hours, 0604 hours and 0642 hours; from Littlemoor, Buddleia Close: 0542 hours, 0620 hours and 0658 hours, and in the evening, from Weymouth, Kings Statue: 1910 hours and then hourly until the last bus at 2310 hours, and from Littlemoor, Buddleia Close: 1926 hours, 2026 hours, 2126 hours and 2226 hours.

•Service 3 (Weymouth to Westham): Operating every 30 minutes from 07.00 to 19.00

•Service 4/4A (Weymouth to Preston and Sutton Poyntz): Operating normal timetable from 07.00 until 17.00.

•Service 8 (Weymouth to Chickerell): Operating every 30 minutes from 07.00 to 19.00.

•Service 10 (Weymouth to Dorchester and Poundbury): Normal weekday timetable including early morning journeys and evening journeys

•Service 88 (Preston to Budmouth School): Normal service will operate.

•Service X51 (Dorchester to Bridport and Axminster): Service will operate hourly between 07.00 and 19.00.

•Service X53 (Weymouth to Bridport NOT to Axminster): The service will start at 07.46 and operate hourly from 09.36 until 15.36. Last bus at 18.30. Change at Bridport to the X51 for onward journeys to Axminster.

•Service X54 (Weymouth, Wareham and Poole): Only school journeys from Wareham to Lytchett Minster School will operate. Customers are advised to use South West Trains for journeys between Weymouth and Poole for all other journeys

•Service X55: (Weymouth – Lulworth – Bovington): Normal service will operate

•Service 501 (Open top bus service between Weymouth to Portland Bill): Normal weekday service

•Service 502 (Lodmoor to Weymouth and Littlesea): Normal weekday service

•Service 503 (Weymouth to Waterside Holiday Park): Buses will operate every 30 minutes.

•Service 743 (Wool – Purbeck School): Service will operate as normal.

•Service 744 (Wool – Purbeck School): Service will operate as normal.

Buses not running (Monday – Saturday strike days)

Service 6 (Weymouth to Lanehouse and Sailing Academy):    No service all week. Customers are advised to use Service 1 instead.

•Service 14 (Portland to Weymouth and Thomas Hardye School): Service not operating. Students advised to use Service 1 and 10 instead.

•Service 53 (Bridport to Beaminster): Service will not operate Service 91 (Wyke Regis to Wey Valley School): Service will not operate. Students should use local services instead.

Service X52 (Bridport/Lyme Regis to Exeter): Service will not operate. Customers wanting to travel to Exeter can catch a X51 service to Axminster Railway Station and take a train from there.

•Service X54 (Weymouth, Wareham and Poole): No service apart from school journeys from Wareham to Lytchett Minster School which will still operate. Customers are advised to use South West Trains for journeys between Weymouth and Poole Sundays (strike days)

•Service 1 (Weymouth to Portland): Operating approximately every 15 minutes from 07.30; the last bus will leave Portland Ripcroft at 19.22 arriving at Weymouth Kings Statue at 20.00.

•Service 2 (Weymouth to Littlemoor): operating approximately every 15 minutes from 08.31; the last bus will leave Weymouth Kings Statue at 18.55 arriving in Littlemoor at 19.11.

•Service 3 (Weymouth to Westham): operating every 30 minutes between 08.56 and 18.10.

•Service 4 (Weymouth to Preston): operating every half an hour between 08.40 and 19.03.

•Service 8 (Weymouth to Chickerell): operating approximately every 30 minutes between 08.17 and 18.44.

•    Service 10 (Weymouth to Dorchester): operating every 30 minutes between 07.55; the last bus will leave Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester at 18.40.

•    Service X51 (Dorchester – Bridport – Axminster): operating from Bridport starting 8.24 and Dorchester at 09.15, the last service will leave Axminster at 18.00 arriving at Dorchester at 19.40.

•    Service X53 (Weymouth – Bridport): operating approximately every 60 minutes from 08.39, the last service arriving at Weymouth at 19.23.

•    Service X55 (Littlesea – Weymouth- Lulworth – Wool – Bovington Tank Museum): operating from Littlesea at 09.00 and 12.00, the last bus from the Tank Museum will leave at 16.50.

•    Service 501 (open top service between Weymouth and Portland Bill): The service is being enhanced for the core summer season. Buses will operate hourly (from Weymouth King Statue between 0940 and 1740 hours; from Portland Bill hourly between 1035 and 1835 hours) •    Service 502 (Weymouth – Littlesea Haven Holiday Centre): operating every hour from 08.55, the last bus will leave Littlesea at 18.50.

•    Service 503 (Weymouth – Waterside Holiday Park): operating every 30 minutes from 09.00, the last bus arriving at Weymouth at 18.56.

Buses that won’t run on Sundays (strike days) •    Service X52 (Bridport/Lyme Regis to Exeter): Customers wanting to travel to Exeter can catch a X51 service to Axminster Railway Station and take a train from there.

•    Service X54 (Weymouth, Wareham and Poole): Customers are advised to use South West Trains for journeys between Weymouth and Poole