according to the latest figures.

In July, 55,377 passengers used the boats -- a four percent increase on the same period last year. Transport Minister Ewart Brown welcomed the figures, which reverse a decline in ferry use over recent years.

Dr. Brown said he was confident more commuters will choose the water rather the road when the Island's new faster ferries are introduced next year.

He said: "It's a small increase, but nevertheless a reversal in the trend because we had seen a steady fall off in the past year and a half.

"I would like to interpret it as a plus for the idea of riding the ferry and we believe more and more people are looking to the water and would prefer that over sitting in traffic.'' The numbers using the Somerset ferry jumped by 17 percent from 35,996 to 42,142 compared with July last year.

But passenger numbers on the Paget/Warwick route fell by 23 percent from 17,195 to 13,235.

Passengers on the summer east/west ferry also dropped slightly from 3,997 to 3,388.