EPAPeople travelling on Greater Manchester’s Bee Network can now use an integrated “tap-in, tap-out” payment system on buses.
The ticketing system already operates across the region’s Metrolink tram network.
It means unlimited travel on both modes of transport will be automatically capped at £9.50 a day, or £7.80 during off-peak times.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said the new “game-changing” system, which removes the need to buy separate tickets, was “a massive step forward in terms of delivering a London-style transport network”.
Burnham said it would “make public transport more affordable and easier to pay for”.
The system brings Greater Manchester into line with cities such as London, New York and Sydney in offering a multi-modal, integrated and capped payment system.
Passengers can either use a debit or credit card or their smartphone to tap card readers as they board buses.
Metrolink passengers have been able to “tap in and out” for many years.
The new system, covering both modes of transport, will initially operate only for adult fares.
A Bee Network spokesperson said there were plans to eventually further extend it to cover regional train journeys.
Why is the new system being introduced?
The new system enables bus passengers to add unlimited travel within any Metrolink zone, including Manchester city centre, from 40p a day for off-peak journeys.
A Bee Network spokesperson said the lowest possible fare would be automatically calculated up to the applicable daily or weekly cap.
They said tap-and-go was now the most popular way for people to pay for travel on what is the UK’s largest tram network, with four in 10 passengers using it.
Mr Burnham said bus passengers have previously had to navigate dozens of different ticket types “that varied wildly in place”, with some single trips costing more than £4.
Videos explaining how to use the new system are available on Bee Network social media channels as well as on tram platforms and at bus stops and transport interchanges.
Fran Wilkinson, Transport for Greater Manchester’s director for customer and growth, said additional staff would support customers and answer any questions they may have during the changes.
How does it work, and how much are fares?
Bus passengers no longer need to buy a physical ticket.
Instead, they can tap a card reader when they board, with no need to tap again when they get off.
Virtual tickets, costing £2, include an unlimited number of bus trips within a 60-minute period.
Passengers can also pay £5 for a day’s unlimited travel, or £20 for a week.
Tram passengers should continue to tap card readers at the start and end of their journeys.
Single Metrolink fares cost £2.70 (or £1.90 for off-peak travel) up to a maximum of £7.10 (£4.90 off peak) for a day’s unlimited travel.
A virtual weekly travel pass starts at £10.60 and goes up to £31, depending on the number of zones that the passenger travels through.
Those using both buses and trams should use the same contactless card or device every time they travel, in order to have their total fares capped.
This ranges from £6 (£5.40 off peak) to a maximum of £9.50 a day for unlimited travel.
Weekly travel costs from £24.80 to £41, depending on the number of tram zones travelled through.
Passengers who still wish to purchase physical tickets, or to pay by cash, can still do so on buses or at ticket machines.
