Andy Burnham has unveiled a new initiative that will lower weekly ticket prices and expand access to annual Bee Network bus passes for more passengers.
Transport for Greater Manchester has joined with ten regional Credit Unions to offer bus users the option of paying for an annual ticket in instalments, providing savings of up to £250 annually compared to alternative fares.
Under the arrangement, the annual bus ticket can be purchased through £67 monthly payments or £15 weekly payments.
Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, responded to the initiative, saying: “This is going to save people a lot of money. Instead of paying £20 for a weekly, people can spend £15. It works out as £2.20 a day”.
Manchester transport bosses have also announced a £2 ‘hopper fare‘, allowing passengers unlimited bus travel within an hour for only £2.
Standard weekly bus passes are also being reduced by £1, bringing the price down to £20. While the cost of a 28-day adult travel pass will decrease from £85.40 to £80.
Metrolink fares will remain the same for the fifth consecutive year.
These updates build on Andy Burnham’s earlier announcement that a “London-style payment system” will launch on March 23, 2025, featuring a ‘tap in, tap out’ option and fare caps for daily and weekly travel.
Those who wish to pay weekly or monthly for an annual pass can do so by signing up with a participating credit union through the Soundpound website.
The annual tickets will then become active on January 5, 2025.
Students can also buy a term 2 Bee Bus ticket for £105, which permits travel anytime on Bee Network buses from January 1 to March 31.
Stagecoach term passes will be discontinued from January 2025, as all buses will transition to the Bee Network on January 5, 2025.
New Fallowfield halls will not meet the University’s own affordability guidelines and the cost of bus travel for students this year to rise under the Bee Network
