Newly appointed Metro Tasmania chairwoman Lynn Mason said yesterday that there were many little-known advantages to public transport but Tasmanians were set to learn all about it.

Ms Mason, a former Flinders Island mayor and Local Government Association of Tasmania president, has been acting Metro chairwoman since May and has now been confirmed in the position.

In 2012-13, passenger numbers dropped by 3.1 per cent over the year before, to 10,071,529 boardings.

This decline has been blamed in part on the high-profile bus driver industrial campaign between February and April that shut down the network at times.

Ms Mason said a boost to bus frequencies in Hobart called Turn Up and Go started this weekend and the statewide bus patronage campaign would follow this year.

``We are looking to developing a more inclusive image,'' Ms Mason said.

``It's actually quite a social situation on the bus.

``If you sit on a bus, you are in a cocoon - you can read a book, talk to someone or look out the window.''

She said that contrasted with the stress of driving and having to park.

But  part of the challenge faced by Metro was to communicate the many facets of bus travel - people could  ride the bus to go to work, but they could also use it for transport for shopping or even going out to dinner.

She said introduction of the electronic ticket system Greencard had boosted passenger numbers, but patronage had since dropped off.