A BIG rise in passenger numbers has been recorded by the Oxford Bus Company, reversing a decline reported to MPs only three months ago.

The company says passengers travelling on its buses shot up by almost eight per cent over the last six months, with high levels of road works persuading more people to leave their cars at home. The increase is also due to the senior citizens free travel regime introduced in April.

But the Oxford Bus Company managing director, Philip Kirk, said: "We estimate that about a third of the extra passengers are made under the concessionary fares scheme.

"The majority is through adult passengers. The number of people using the park-and-ride services is also rising.

"There is some evidence to suggest that car drivers are leaving their cars at home and switching to our buses during the current round of roadworks in Oxford." Whatever the cause of the increase, it will come as welcome news to Oxfordshire County Council, whose entire transport strategy has been geared to getting more people to use buses in Oxford. When Dick Helling, the county's public transport officer, appeared before the House of Commons Transport Select Committee in June, an altogether gloomier picture of public transport in Oxford was painted for MPs.

Admitting that County Hall was running out of ideas to boost bus use, he spoke of rising fares, longer journeys and a drop in frequency of services.

But Mr Kirk, whose company carries over 17m passengers, said passengers were voting with their feet. "We've invested heavily.

"Earlier in the year we introduced a new fleet of buses, costing nearly £2m, on the City 2 route from Oxford to Kidlington. The Mercedes Citaros have proved a hit with passengers and we believe the new buses have attracted new passengers, not just traditional bus users."

Mr Helling said the most recent available figures covering the period from last October to March had showed an overall decline of 1.1 per cent, compared to the same period in the previous year.

He said: "If passenger numbers are now found to be increasing again this would be very good news.

"It could indicate that the work we have been doing, in partnership with the bus operators, to introduce improvements such as Real-Time Information and improved bus stop infrastructure is bearing fruit."

Meanwhile, a Government pledge to give councils new powers to ensure bus operators serve communities properly has been welcomed by Oxfordshire.

Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander has promised action to end the current "free-for-all" among private bus operators.

The move could signal the reversing of bus deregulation which was introduced under the Transport Act 1985.