Greater Manchester’s Labour/Co-op mayor Andy Burnham has confirmed plans for a new annual bus pass to cut the cost of travel in the city region, backed by a credit union loan.
Available from January – subject to agreement by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority – and costing £800, the loan, from credit unions in the region’s Sound Pound network, will allow passengers to spread payment, at no extra cost.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) says the deal will save passengers almost £5 a week, almost £20 a month and up to £240 a year compared with the lower fares also being introduced for seven and 28 day Bee Network bus tickets.
TfGM is working with Sound Pound to enable to people to apply for the new annual pass from 5 December so their bus ticket is available to use from 5 January. TfGM is also working with the credit unions to offer customers the chance to spread the cost of existing annual Metrolink products or an annual bus and tram pass from March 2025.
And a new ‘hopper fare’ will replace single tickets on Bee Network services, providing passengers with more flexibility by allowing them to hop on as many Bee Network buses as they like within one hour.
The annual, weekly and 28-day tickets will provide unlimited travel on Bee Network bus services across the whole of Greater Manchester and are intended to make public transport more affordable so more people can access jobs, training and opportunities, says TgFM.
The announcement comes as the results of the latest Greater Manchester Residents’ survey published show more than half of respondents (55%) say that their cost of living has increased over the last month, while 52% report their mental health has been negatively impacted in the last month by a cost-of-living pressure.
“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,” said Burnham.
“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.”
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Rose Marley, CEO of Co-operatives UK, said: “This is a truly co-operative offer, not only is it better for the environment and better for your pocket it will also demonstrate the benefits of joining a credit union and how that can help you further with the cost of living.
“Everyone is working together to deliver the best possible outcomes for Greater Manchester, it’s local power at its best.”
Ciara Davies, executive lead for the Greater Manchester Consortium of Credit Unions, added: “Credit unions are not-for-profit financial co-operatives that have been providing access to affordable financial services in communities and workplaces in GM for over 30 years. This new product will spread the cost of travel and save people money which is just one of the ways in which credit unions can help make your money go further.”
The changes to fares build on steps already taken to bring down the cost of travel, including the launch of the discounted Bee Anybus + Tram ticket in September 2023 – cutting the cost of combined journeys by up to 20%, the introduction of capped bus fares in September 2022 and the continued support for Our Pass, offering free travel to 16–18-year-olds. Metrolink fares have also been frozen since 2020.
