Dorset buses

County advice overview

There are several bus operators within Dorset, each providing guidance regarding travelling with a disability on their website. 

If you have restricted mobility, it is always best to check with the operator if you are taking a journey for the first time. 

Key tips

If you have reduced mobility, or a disability, where possible plan your journey in advance so that you know:

• If the destination stop is accessible, and any arrangements you may need to make for onward travel
• Which mobility aids you will be travelling with. (Contact the bus provider if you are unsure whether you can travel with your scooter/wheelchair.)

It may also be worth considering:

• Where the nearest bus stop is and which bus number you will need
• What method of payment is accepted
• If the ticket can be bought online
• Which destination stop you need. (The bus driver should be happy to help.)

Operators

More Bus

Services around Poole, Lymington, New Milton and the New Forest.

First Bus Wessex

Bus routes in Dorset and South Somerset, including Weymouth and Lyme Regis. First Bus Wessex also provides hospital services to Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester, Portland Community Hospital and Weymouth Community Hospital.

Damory Coaches

Bus routes in Dorset. 

Help with cost 

Older Person’s Bus Pass

Concessionary bus passes are available for older people who have reached state pension age and are a resident in Dorset. The Older Person’s Bus Pass entitles you to free travel on local Dorset bus services and throughout England from 9.30am to 11pm, Monday to Friday and all day at weekends and on public holidays.

Residents of Dorset can apply online. 

You can also apply by phone on 0300 330 1201 or by posting an application form, which can be downloaded on the Dorset Council website 

In addition to the national bus pass scheme, residents of East Dorset who are entitled to a free bus pass are also entitled to all-day travel and not limited to off-peak hours. 

Disabled Person’s Bus pass

If you have a disability, you may be entitled to a Disabled Person’s Bus Pass. There is no upper age restriction for the Disabled Person’s Bus Pass. 

Information on eligibility is available here.

If you live in Dorset, you can apply for a Disabled Person’s Bus Pass here.

Travel Payment – East Dorset

If you are unable to use a public bus due to a disability, you may be eligible for a payment towards your travel arrangements.

To qualify, you must:

• Have a permanent disability which prevents you from using public bus services
• Obtain supporting evidence of your disability from your GP
• Be a permanent resident of East Dorset

Special assistance

First Bus has produced cards called Extra Help to Travel Cards and Safe Journey Cards for people who have a disability to use on their buses. They are available from travel shops or you can download one using the link below:

• Extra Help to Travel Cards
• Safe Journey Cards

Travelling with mobility equipment

First Buses

All First Buses are built for easy-access with low floors. If you use a mobility scooter, you will need to have your scooter approved by First Bus and be issued with a permit before you can take it on a bus.

All low-floor buses have a dedicated area for wheelchair and scooter users; other passengers are required to give up the space for wheelchair and scooter users.

When your low floor bus arrives at the bus stop you can ask the driver to lower the step or ramp to allow you to board.

Wheelchair and mobility scooter users have priority over everyone else for the use of the designated wheelchair space, since this is the only place in which they can travel safely. 

If the bus is full or there is already a wheelchair or scooter user on board, it may not be possible to carry another wheelchair or scooter user.

Assistance dogs

All recognised guide dogs and assistance dogs are allowed to travel for free on all Dorset First Buses.

Routes and timetable links

When planning a journey by bus, things to consider might be “Where is my nearest bus stop?” and “What bus number do I need?”. You may also want to think about buying your ticket, what it will cost, can you pay by cash or card and can you buy it in advance online. Be aware that online tickets for buses are often non-refundable if you cannot make your journey.

Buses can only stop at marked bus stops, so you need to be sure where you are getting off in advance. If you are not sure, the bus driver should be happy to help you. Ask the driver to let you know when your stop is coming up. You may need to consider if the nearest bus stop is accessible if you are travelling with a scooter or wheelchair.

Timetables

Advice on route maps and timetables throughout Dorset can be found on the Dorset Council website. 

Traveline

Traveline is a public transport information and journey planning service and is a partnership of transport companies, local authorities and passenger groups which have come together to bring you routes and times for all travel in Great Britain by bus, rail, coach and ferry and to provide it in as many different ways as possible.

You can use Traveline to plan your journey and find timetables, before you travel or during your journey. 

Contact: 0871 200 22 33 

NextBuses

The national NextBuses website will help you search for bus timetables and your nearest bus stop. You can put in your postcode to find your nearest stop and the next bus due.

SMS text: For live and scheduled arrival information for specific bus stops, text the short code (for example, brkdwtg) shown on the information panel at that stop to 84268 (a charge applies for each return text, on top of the cost of the customer’s initial text message request.)

BusTimes

The BusTimes.org website also provides bus, coach and ferry transport information (under the heading ‘Map’, select Track buses and find bus stops). From here you can track buses across the UK, access timetables and next departure information, view maps, bus stop details and more.