Greater Manchester to introduce London-style ‘tap in’ payments for public transport

Greater Manchester is set to introduce a similar ‘tap in tap out’ payment system across its buses next spring.

The new pay-as-you-go contactless payment system aims to make travel between buses and trams simpler, with fares automatically calculated at the end of a journey.

Under the new system, passengers will be able to make unlimited journeys on Bee Network buses and trams from £7.80 a day off-peak.

As well as extending the system to bus travel, passengers will also be able to travel across both Metrolink and Bee Network bus services and be charged a single, multi-modal fare, instead of having to plan or buy tickets in advance.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “In March 2021 I announced that Greater Manchester would bring all of its buses back under local control as part of the Bee Network – providing cheaper, easier and more convenient transport and simple, easy-to-understand fares and tickets.

“Just over a year ago the vision started to become a reality when the Bee Network launched, and we saw the first phase of buses joining the Bee Network – representing the biggest change to the bus network in almost 40 years. On 5 January next year that process will be complete. Every bus in the region will be working as a part of the Bee Network and accountable to passengers.

“We’ve already started to see the benefits franchising is delivering with bus services now cleaner, cheaper and more reliable than before with record numbers of passengers and there is more to come.

“From 23 March pay as you go will be launching across Bee Network buses, building on the system that has been in place on Metrolink since 2019. This is a massive step forward in terms of delivering a London-style transport network for the people of Greater Manchester, putting our region on par with not only the capital but also major cities across the world that offer seamless, integrated travel by public transport.

“Moving to this pay as you go system is going to make public transport more affordable and easier to pay for. It will take the worry out of choosing the right ticket for passengers and encourage many more people to get on board with the Bee Network.”

The new public transport payment system will come into effect from 23 Mar 2025.