THE number of bus journeys taken in Brighton and Hove has plummeted by 1.4 million.

There were 44.4 million journeys made in the city in 2014/15, signifying a drop of around three per cent since 2013/14, Department for Transport statistics said.

Bus company bosses and a passenger watchdog blamed roadworks and problems with live information boards for people choosing to walk rather than wait for a delayed service.

But they said the figures showed the city still used buses more than anywhere else in the country outside of London and usage was on the rise again.

Brighton Area Buswatch chairman Andrew Boag claimed this was the first drop in numbers in twenty years and "major delays" caused by roadworks at the Vogue Gyratory, Brighton Station, Edward Street and North Street were responsible, among other problems.

He said: "It is quite a drop compared to other places, you normally expect a slight increase so it is a bit worrying and a challenge for lots of people, like the council. We are sure the figures are due to roadworks and problems with real time information which were due to be upgraded but this has not yet been done.

"It is really unreliable, sometimes the screens are blank or there is inaccurate information. This meant apps on smartphones weren't working. If you don't know when the bus is coming and one doesn't turn up it's quite difficult. It's not very good really."

Martin Harris, managing director of Brighton and Hove Buses, said the drop was "disappointing" after new bus lanes and other projects.

He said: "Though there have been slowdowns in the rate of passenger growth in the past, it was naturally disappointing that despite all these efforts and the efforts of the council in delivering new bus lanes, the operational issues, most significantly the North Street roadworks and the prolonged problems with the real time information system during the upgrade work, did hold back passenger numbers in the second half of the year."

But he said the city's investment in transport is "already producing results".