The National Transport Authority has said last year saw the "by far the largest" increase in public transport use in the past decade.

New figures show that the number of trips taken on public transport last year rose by 24 million – a rise of 9% on the previous year.

Dublin Bus is the most used public transport service in the country, carrying 138 million passengers last year. Meanwhile Go-Ahead Ireland carried a further 13.9m in the metropolitan region.

Meanwhile, passenger numbers on Iarnród Éireann reached 50 million for the first time – a 4.3% increase on last year.

Bus Éireann broke the 40 million mark with a 14% increase in passenger numbers. That figure included a 30% increase on services in Waterford City.

Meanwhile, number on the Luas increased by 155 to over 48 million.

NTA Chief Executive Anne Graham said the figures show that customers respond when public transport improvements are put in place.

“But people are also looking to the future of the planet, and they know that by choosing to use public transport, they are behaving in a way that will reduce emissions, improve air quality and protect their local environment,” she said.

“None of us can rest on our laurels, and the priority now must be to deliver on those improvements in our public transport infrastructure that are provided for under the Climate Action Plan and Project Ireland 2040.

“That is why it is so important for the NTA to continue to invest in projects such as MetroLink and BusConnect that will provide a better public transport offering into the future.

“It is also why we are working to reduce emissions by investing in hybrid buses and electric trains and other clean technologies.”

The NTA said public transport passenger numbers have now increased for the past seven years in a row.