Manchester will enjoy a transport network on “a footing with London, New York and Madrid” when contactless tap-in fares launch across its buses from Sunday.
The Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, said that the switch would mark the moment when the city would “realise our ambition of a truly integrated, London-style transport network”, allowing people to switch between buses and trams without different tickets and with the cost automatically calculated and capped.
The rebranded Bee Network promises bus and tram passengers a quicker, easier and cheaper way to travel, especially on journeys that involve a switch from tyres to the tram tracks. Fares will be capped daily or weekly across buses and trams.
The capping means some passengers who make several bus journeys using contactless payments can now also use trams for just 40p more, while unlimited weekly bus and tram use in central Manchester will be automatically capped at £30.30.
Contactless payments have been available on the Metrolink tram services since 2019. The 50 millionth contactless Metrolink journey took place on Wednesday, according to Transport for Greater Manchester.
TfGM reported that tram users in Greater Manchester have outpaced the rest of the country for tapping in via their phones or watches: almost two in three contactless payments are now made using a smart device rather than bankcards, well above the reported rates nationwide.
Vernon Everitt, the transport commissioner for Greater Manchester, said it meant users would automatically get the best fare without buying tickets, adding: “When we integrate buses into the system on Sunday, we will have a modern payment system that will enable seamless travel between bus and tram under a single, simple and affordable fare structure.”
It will be another landmark day on a journey that started more than seven years ago when Burnham pledged to bring buses back into public control.
Burnham said the introduction of contactless tap and go was “the culmination of years of hard work to make travel easy, convenient and affordable”.
Before the Bee Network, bus passengers in the city would have had to choose from various operators and tickets, with some single journeys costing more than £4. Unlimited daily bus travel is now capped at £6.70 including peak fares.
He added: “The launch of contactless tap and go on Metrolink in 2019 was the foundation on which we’ve built the Bee Network.
after newsletter promotion
“It’s simple and convenient, and as the figures show, the most popular way for people to pay for their travel.
“In just a few days we will realise our ambition of a truly integrated London-style transport network that puts us on an equal footing with other global cities like London, New York and Madrid.”
Manchester hopes to eventually integrate some national rail services running into the city into its Bee Network system.
