AIKEN --- Forest Smith has been riding the Best Friend Express for nearly two decades.

He doesn't have a car, but he does have glaucoma. And that means Aiken County's only public transit system is his best friend.

"Nowhere can you go from downtown Augusta to downtown Aiken for $2," he said.

A lot of other people are figuring that out, too.

Though the Best Friend Express has just three routes focusing on only the most urban parts of Aiken County, its ridership has dramatically increased since January because of increasing gas prices, transit officials say.

There was a 20 percent increase in riders from January to March, said Connie Shade, the assistant executive director of the Lower Savannah Council of Governments, which runs the Best Friend Express. Transit officials have been surveying riders about the routes and asking them why they choose the bus instead of driving themselves.

Lately, many of them say it's because it's a better deal, Ms. Shade said.

"They'll say, 'You know, I have a car, but if I can take the bus, that's cheaper,' " Ms. Shade said.

Augusta Public Transit bus driver James Pinder gets the same response from passengers who ride on his Turpin Hill route. In the past two months, he's seen about a 10 percent increase in ridership because of gas prices, he said.

"They say they really don't have a choice with the way gas prices have gone up," he said.

Augusta Public Transit Director Heyward Johnson said higher gas prices play a role in the 2 percent increase in ridership for all the routes. About 3,300 more riders are loading up on his buses compared with last year, he said.

He said he imagined the increase would be substantial as the prices continue to climb. In Augusta, a one-way transit pass costs $1.

In Aiken County, people can get around for just a couple of bucks. It just might take awhile.

There are only three routes, which means there are only three buses going at one time, and only to the Aiken and North Augusta areas, with stops in between.

Ms. Shade said the system has limited funding -- $375,000 this year -- from the county, North Augusta and Aiken, and it can't use federal money for operation expenses because it's in too large a population area.

Still, she touted Best Friend Express' connection to Augusta and its flag system of getting on the bus.

The buses stop at major destinations in Aiken -- shopping areas, the hospital and Aiken Tech. Transit officials are looking at changing a couple of the routes, potentially increasing the frequency.

But as ridership increases, transit officials say they are worried about the cost of fuel.

Ms. Shade said she hasn't gotten the bills for diesel for the most recent month, but she already knows the expense will be higher than normal.

Staff Writer Stephanie Toone contributed to this article