THE number of passengers using buses in Leigh and Bolton has jumped by 15 per cent.

Transport bosses say the figure is bucking the trend nationally, where there has been a downturn in the number of people hopping on the bus.

And it is more than twice the Greater Manchester increase of seven per cent, pleasing bosses who say the success is down to "bus corridors".

Greater Manchester is the only major urban area outside London where passenger numbers are increasing. And where "bus corridors" have been introduced, journey times have been slashed by up to 15 per cent.

Members of the Greater Manchester Transport Authority say the bus corridors programme, which introduced a dedicated bus lane during the morning and evening rush hours, is the key.

Daubhill Councillor Guy Harkin, deputy chairman of the authority and spokesman for Bolton, said: "I am pleased with the patronage growth on this corridor.

"The vast majority of public transport journeys are made by bus and this shows how essential it is that we invest in schemes that enhance all aspects of bus travel.

"Our QBC programme aims to do just that by looking at improving every element of a bus journey.

"Passengers repeatedly tell us that, alongside punctuality and reliability, their main concerns are feeling safe and secure at bus stops and having reliable information about services.

"We are addressing all of these passenger priorities by, for example, introducing high quality shelters on bus corridor routes and installing Real Time Passenger Information, and the increase in the numbers of bus journeys made suggests we are getting it right."

The report warned that the growth in passenger numbers may not be sustained if bus operators do not play their part in providing reliable services, citing the current poor operational performance in parts of Greater Manchester.