Manchester Bus Fares Will Be Capped At £2 As Part Of Andy Burnham’s Regeneration Scheme
Residents can expect changes to bus services by the end of the summer.
Laura Rogan - Editor
Following the news that Andy Burnham’s London-style Bee Network would be going ahead, despite challenges from Rotala and Stagecoach, it’s been revealed that the Mayor will introduce a £2 price cap for single bus journeys (£5 per day) – while child tickets will be reduced to just £1.
Similar to London’s successful ‘hopper’ ticket, the new system means that Mancs will be able to use multiple bus services for their journey, and means they wouldn’t be charged extra for using a different service if a ticket has been purchased in the past 60 minutes.
Originally set to roll out by next Autumn, the new franchised service will half ticket prices for some journeys – with some areas currently paying over £4 per journey to get into Manchester city centre. All services would offer just one universal ticket type under TfGM. The ticket can then be used on any TfGM service, giving a more streamlined approach to travelling around Manchester. The plan is, however, reliant on the co-operation of Manchester’s current bus operators and the Government.
Speaking of the decision to bring the scheme forward, Mayor Andy Burnham told the M.E.N: “The decision to bring forward the new lower flat fares for Greater Manchester is driven by the cost of living crisis and we just want to help people now. That’s why we’ve brought forward the plan.
“It’s simpler, it’s cheaper, it’s helping people when they need it. Myself and the 10 leaders are doing this together, we’ve taken the decision to help the public when they most need it but also help long-term ambitions by building the Bee Network now.
“We can’t commit that this will be forever and we will have an annual review as there are so many unknowns, including levels of Government funding and the return of passengers, but the best way we can collectively commit in the long term is if people use public transport now.”
Adding: “We want people back to the office, back to the city centre. This is part of the appeal here. Your city region needs you because we are bringing this forward to help people but we need people to help us sustain this fare structure by using buses.
“This is what will help us build the Bee Network if people use this offer to change the way they move and leave the car at home. We are bringing it forward to help people now, right now. This year, immediately, ahead of the rise in energy bills.”
Burnham’s vision for the Bee Network would make public transport in Manchester more accessible to residents, with its low fares and easy-to-use tickets helping residents get to work and travel into the CBD more conveniently than ever before.