Bus Subsidies 2025

This consultation closed at 11:59pm on Monday 18 August 2025.

This content displayed on our previous consultation website.

Residents in Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) are asked to give their opinions on the council's subsidised bus services.

Most bus routes across BCP run without extra financial help from the council. However, some routes with fewer passengers, such as evening and Sunday services or those that serve areas away from the busy roads, need financial support to keep running. This is known as bus subsidies.

The council supports 24 local bus service contracts, including six school services. Last year, the council spent £1.54 million to keep these bus services running. £834,000 of this came from the council's budget, and the rest was from government funding. Many of these contracts are due for renewal by April 2027 which may result in price increases which would need to be funded.

The council received £2.66 million in bus grant funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) in 2025/26. The DfT advised that while this grant can't replace existing funding in 2025/26, it could be used to support services in future years if the council reviews bus services to ensure for value for money.

To ensure the council remains financially viable, the council plans to gradually remove the bus subsidy budget in its Medium-Term Financial Plan.

We are therefore undertaking a comprehensive review of subsidised services which will be the first since BCP Council was formed. It is also important to confirm whether council subsidies are still needed to provide services and to see if viable alternatives exist. Some services may need less or no subsidy due to increased passenger numbers. Services could also be changed to better meet public needs by re-routing, combining existing routes, or adjusting frequencies.

This consultation will inform our decision making on which routes we continue to subsidise. We want to be able to build up a picture of how residents and commuters use our bus services so that we can continue to deliver value for money.

Which routes could be affected? 

The council budget for subsidised bus services is already fully committed. In future years, costs are likely to exceed the budget, meaning that by 2027 the current service would be unaffordable. Unless a decision is made to increase the budget, or alternative funding is found, it may be necessary to withdraw the subsidies which would affect at least some of the following routes:

School routes

Route 40: Hamworthy - Turlin Moor - Upton - St Edward's & St Mary's Schools

Route 46: Throop - Avonbourne Academies

Route 81: Charminster - Avonbourne Academies

Route 425: Wallisdown - Corfe Hills & Broadstone Middle Schools

Route 448: Old Town - Hamworthy - Parkstone & Poole Grammar Schools

Route 744: Baiter - Old Town - Oakdale Junior School

Monday - Saturday

Route One: Poole Bus Station - Hospital - Rail Station - Quay - Baiter Park

Route 7A, 7B, 7C: Alderney East / Bloxworth Estate / Tower Park - Upper Parkstone

Route 10: Poole - Sterte - Wessex Gate - Lytchett Matravers

Route 18: Broadstone (West Way) - Canford Heath - Bournemouth

Route 20: Poole – Penn Hill - Bournemouth - Castlepoint

Route 32: Poole – Broadstone - Merley – Slades Farm - Bournemouth

Route 33: Bournemouth – East Cliff - Bournemouth Hospital - Christchurch

Route 36: Talbot View – Bournemouth - Kinson

Evenings

Route 4: Poole - Broadstone - Merley - Wimborne

Route 8 & Route 9: Poole - Hamworthy - Turlin Moor - Upton - Creekmoor - Poole

Route 14: Poole - Bourne Estate – Wallisdown - Kinson

Route 16: Poole - Bourne Estate - Bournemouth

Route 25 & Route 26: Poole - Canford Heath - Tower Park

Sundays

Route 4: Poole - Broadstone - Merley-Wimborne

Route 8 & Route 9: Poole - Hamworthy - Turlin Moor- Upton - Creekmoor - Poole

Route 16: Poole - Bourne Estate - Bournemouth

Route 25 & Route 26: Poole - Canford Heath - Tower Park

Route X6: Poole - Bearwood - Ringwood

Have your say

We particularly wanted to hear from people who live, work, travel and go to school in the area about the impact the proposal to withdraw subsidies for the routes listed above might have on them.

You could tell us your views by:

• Completing our online survey
• Paper versions of the survey were available on buses and in all of BCP's libraries
• Downloading a paper copy of the survey and returning it to the address on the form.
• Contact public.transport@bcpcouncil.gov.uk with any questions or require an alternative language or format.

What happens next?

In full consideration of the results of this consultation, the council will work with the bus operators to develop options to discuss with the Department for Transport (DfT). Recommendations will be reported to Cabinet for recommendation to Council via the council’s Transport Advisory Group (TAG) in Autumn/Winter 2025/26 before any decisions are made.

Changes to bus services could potentially be undertaken from May 2026 onwards.