Councillor Julian Simmonds said the blame for passenger numbers declining by one million on the city's bus fleet in 2013-14 lay with the previous State Labor government and fare increases of 15 per cent for three consecutive years.

"The previous Labor government introduced year-on-year, three years running 15 per cent increases and we did not want ongoing 15 per cent fare increases," he said.

"The policy they have laid down is one way to drive people off public transport."

Cr Simmonds defence of the figures came in response to attacks from the Labor Opposition Leader Milton Dick during the first meeting following council's spring recess period.

In the final meeting of the last sitting period, the council's 2013-14 annual report revealed the city's bus fleet carried 2685 less passengers on average per day in 2013-14 than it did in 2012-13.

The figures were revealed on the same day Deputy Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced traffic on the city's road network rose by 3.3 per cent last year, or by 1000 vehicles per day.

Cr Dick said the sharp decrease in passenger numbers signalled the council's $20 million bus cuts, implemented in late 2013, were filtering through.

"Fewer routes and services on the road mean that there are fewer opportunities for commuters to catch a bus, and it's showing in official bus patronage figures with Council failing to meet their bus patronage figures for the second year in a row," he said.

"The Lord Mayor was elected on a promise to grow the public transport network, but he has failed with patronage going backwards as commuters turn their back on Brisbane's buses following massive budget cuts."

Cr Simmonds said the current administration had made a record investment in public transport and annual patronage numbers had almost doubled since the last year of the previous Labor-led council in 2003.

He said they had grown from 48 million that year to its present 80 million.

"This administration is spending a record amount of money upgrading public transport infrastructure this financial year," he said.

Cr Simmonds said in addition to new and replacement flood resilient ferry terminals that were being constructed this year with Commonwealth and State flood recovery funds, council had also installed air-conditioning in its entire bus fleet.

By the end of the financial year, all buses and ferries will also be fully disability compliant.

But Cr Dick said the council had fallen short of bus patronage targets by three million.

"New world cities invest in public transport; they don't cut it and miss bus patronage targets by over three million," he said.

"Fewer routes and services on the road mean that there are fewer opportunities for commuters to catch a bus, and it's showing in official bus patronage figures with Council failing to meet their bus patronage figures for the second year in a row."