There were nearly 17 million passenger journeys, up from 15 million in 2005/6 – a rise of more than 13 per cent.
By contrast, the increase in bus use nationally last year was just 3.9 per cent, according to Government figures.
Councillor Matthew Lock, Lead Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, said: "This is a brilliant result. We have been working hard with operators and partner councils to bring in more modern buses, better access and real-time information which tells people how long it will be before a bus arrives.
"All the evidence suggests that if you give people more information, and make fares affordable, people are more likely to leave their cars at home."
Analysis by county transport bosses revealed that the main reason for the increase was the provision of free off-peak bus travel for older and disabled residents from April 2006. The County Council co-ordinates the concessionary fares on behalf of district and borough councils so that eligible residents can travel free with their ‘Countycard’ throughout East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton & Hove.
Cllr Lock said: "The frequency of services has also improved and we have installed bus priorities areas to speed up journeys, made buses more comfortable and environmentally-friendly and improved bus stop facilities, such as seating and timetable information. All this has vastly improved the whole experience for passengers and we look forward to even greater numbers of people using buses next year."
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