The Mayor of Greater Manchester has confirmed that the cost of travelling across the city region is to be slashed for communities, as part of the ongoing work to bring transport under local control.
Coming as part of the Bee Network project, and subject to agreement by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, those travelling on the city region’s bus network will be able to spread the payment of a new annual bus pass over the course of the year. This comes as Transport for Greater Manchester works alongside credit unions in the region to support people to apply for the pass from the 5th December, ahead of the ticket becoming available for use at the beginning of January 2025.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said:
“With so many people across Greater Manchester struggling with the cost of living, I am really pleased we are able to drive down the cost of using Bee Network buses by reducing the price of weekly, 28-day and annual travel.
“Through this innovative initiative, we are making our best value products available to all, and I hope it helps give people worried about bills certainty about the cost of travel and gives them one less thing to worry about.
“This is only possible because we are leading the way in bringing buses under local control after almost 40 years, and now we are leading the way in making our networks more accessible, inclusive and affordable.”
Improved pricing options for users is all part of the mayor’s plans to make travel across the city region a cheaper and more enjoyable experience for all. This comes following the result of the latest Greater Manchester Residents’ survey, which found that more than half of the respondents have seen their cost of living increase over the course of the last month, whilst 52% reported that their mental health has been negatively affected by the cost of living in the last month.
Paul Dennett, Mayor of Salford, also commented:
“This announcement on cheaper fares on the Bee Network is fantastic news for local people, and following on from the recent night-bus rollout, shows the benefits of having an integrated, public-controlled regional transport system.
“Many residents are struggling in this cost-of-living crisis and a lot of hard work has taken place behind the scenes to provide cheaper travel for our residents.
“I would urge people to look at options with their local Credit Union as there are many ways they can help with accessible loans and options to save, both at very competitive rates when compared to high-cost lenders.”
Image credit: Transport for Greater Manchester
