Fuel rises drive motorists towards public transport

Soaring fuel prices and the credit crunch are forcing record numbers of motorists from cars to public transport, new figures suggest.

Bus and rail operator Stagecoach revealed the trend, reporting that passenger numbers on buses since May had grown by five per cent in the past year.

It said turnover on its rail services was up by nine per cent, with the shift driven partly by the rising cost of petrol and diesel.

Today other major transport operators said they too were experiencing significant rises.

And DIY chain Halfords released new figures showing that record numbers of drivers were now considering turning to cycling to cut their fuel bills.

Meanwhile, new Department for Transport figures reveal that car ownership is falling in London for the first time.

In 2006, 38 per cent of London households did not have a car, rising to 43 per cent last year.

Richard Bourn, of Campaign for Better Transport, said: "People are choosing not to own a car and finding that they can make it work. The rise of car clubs, bus use and more cycling are all factors."

Transdev - which operates London United and London Sovereign buses in London - said it had experienced a 2.3 per cent rise in passenger numbers in the past year.

In the 12 months to 31 July last year it carried a total of 151,169,267 passengers. In the 12 months to 31 July this year that figure had risen to 154,737,987.

Virgin trains said its passenger numbers had risen by one per cent in the 12 months to April this year, and spokesman Jim Rowe said: "Is it because of the environment or because of fuel costs? We are not certain but it appears to be a combination of both."

But a spokesman for coach operator National Express said the increase in passenger numbers was also due to improvements in services and reliability.