Sheffielders are forsaking their cars and using buses instead, a survey has revealed.

The green initiative has been identified by bus operator Stagecoach Sheffield who interviewed passengers on services running along competitive bus corridors in the city where significant pricing, service and marketing moves by the company have led to increased use.

Stagecoach Sheffield estimate from the results of the survey, carried out on services 25, 52, 83, 88 and 120, that the improvements, which included cheaper fares, increased frequency and new vehicles, have generated two million new trips on public transport, of which more than a third, 37 per cent, had previously been by car.

Of those interviewed, just over eight per cent said they had switched from their car and the main reasons given were that their Stagecoach service took them all the way of their journey without changing buses (53.1 per cent) and the services were frequent (48.4 per cent).

Paul Lynch, Stagecoach Sheffield managing director, said: “Although some passengers may have switched from the car because they are fed up of traffic jams, it is clear that many have taken green considerations into account and decided to leave their vehicles at home.

“The results of the survey support our theory that people can be persuaded to switch if they feel they can rely on an efficient bus service which is reliable, frequent and takes them where they want to go without having to change too much."

Stagecoach say that environmental concerns are also boosting bus use nationally and report a 10.3 per cent increase in revenues.

A Stagecoach spokesman said: “People are switching from car to bus, partly because of congestion but also because of increasing awareness of the environmental impact of car travel."

Stagecoach Sheffield has invested £4.1 million in a fleet of 41 new buses for its services in the city over the past 16 months.

The low floor, single decker vehicles have been introduced on a number of routes throughout Sheffield. The MAN buses feature a state-of-the-art multi camera security system to help ensure the safety and security of staff and passengers.

The investment follows a major relaunch of the Stagecoach Sheffield network in May 2006 designed to provide passengers with more frequent, reliable and affordable services.