Bus services operated under the franchised Bee Network in Greater Manchester will see the introduction of capped contactless multimodal payments from 23 March 2025.
Rollout of the final tranche of franchising will complete before that date. Introduction of capped tap on, tap off payment on Bee Network buses will build on the system already available on Metrolink tram services in the conurbation.
On bus services a daily cap of £5 will be in place along with a weekly cap of £20. The rollout will also give a single fare across both modes. The zone-dependent daily cap across bus and tram will be up to £9.50 where a journey begins before 0930hrs Monday to Friday and up to £7.80 at other times.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham claims that capped contactless payments for Bee Network bus services in the region will represent “a massive step forward in terms of delivering a London-style transport network for the people of Greater Manchester.”
Mr Burnham adds that the development will put the region “on a par with not only the capital but also major cities across the world that offer seamless, integrated travel by public transport.” Initially the tap on, tap off approach will work via adult fares only.
In 2023, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) signed a contract with Ticketer for delivery of the supplier’s next-generation ticketing and real-time solution to be rolled out on franchised bus services in the region.
At that time, it was said that standalone tap-off readers – already used outside Greater Manchester including via capped contactless multi-operator schemes – form part of that work. Operators and TfGM are to receive data from those units. In addition to offering capped contactless payments, they will deliver insight on customer travel patterns.
Adds TfGM Customer and Growth Director Fran Wilkinson: “Improving the experience for customers travelling on the Bee Network has been our number one priority since the launch of bus franchising in September 2023.
“The pay as you go system will give greater flexibility for our passengers and will be introduced alongside an extensive communication programme to ensure that customers understand how they can benefit from this new, easier way to travel across Greater Manchester.”
