More than 450,000 passengers used contactless payments on buses in the first month of the Bee Network’s integrated “tap and go” capped fares scheme in Manchester.
The “tap and go” process was introduced by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) on buses on 24 March, having been available on Metrolink trams since 2019.
The integration means that passengers using contactless will have fares capped at new daily and weekly rates across bus and tram.
The busiest day for contactless journeys was 3 April when 99,000 journeys were made.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham says: “When we launched contactless tap and go a month ago, I called on people to get on board and back the Bee Network, and the millions of journeys made so far show that they have.
“Greater Manchester has delivered a London-style transport network with buses back under local control and integrated into the wider network.
“The introduction of contactless ‘tap and go’ takes it on another step to delivering a truly modern, integrated payment system that makes travelling easier, more affordable and more convenient than ever before.
“Tap and go is the best way to pay when using the Bee Network and while we’re off to an incredible start I’d urge everyone to get out the car and give the Bee Network a go.”
Capped fares include a maximum daily charge of £9.50 or £7.80 if starting a journey after 0930hrs. A weekly cap for unlimited bus and tram travel is available for £41.
Fran Wilkinson, Customer and Growth Director, TfGM, says: “The introduction of tap and go was a significant undertaking for TfGM and it’s fantastic to see so many people using the new system and benefiting from the benefits it delivers.
“We are committed to ensuring public transport is easy to use, accessible and provides great value for money and will continue to look at new ways to improve the customer offer for everyone.”
