THE Go Ahead group, which bought the Wilts & Dorset Bus Company last August, has made few changes to it, says boss Alex Carter.

Mr Carter, managing director of the £30m turnover company, said Go Ahead had deliberately held back from making dynamic changes to the structure and services of the long-established company, which employs 800 staff and has 370 vehicles.

"We have been determined not to rush in and make changes that could be for the worse," said Mr Carter.

"We have inherited a generally well respected public transport service provider that, prior to the takeover, saw major investments in new systems, such as real time bus stop displays and a substantial fleet of easy access low floor vehicles.

"But we know that there is much more we can do to encourage more people to use the services and leave the car at home."

Only eight per cent of people employed in the region use buses to commute to work, a figure below the national trend.

Mr Carter, who has more than 20 years' experience in the industry, said that to improve this situation, partnerships with local and regional authorities were important, together with more integration with other public transport providers.