Better off with the Bee Network

Better off with the Bee Network: New tickets to make travel 20% cheaper as Greater Manchester moves closer to ‘London-style’ transport network

The start of the exciting new Bee Network is now just under three months away and the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham today announced that an array of new tickets across the county will make travel much cheaper and easier for people to use.

The new Bee AnyBus + Tram tickets, delivered by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) with the support of Greater Manchester TravelCards Ltd (GMTL) will make the combination of both bus and tram travel around 20% cheaper in comparison to if you bought the tickets separately. This is set to launch on the 24^th September 2023 when Greater Manchester will become the first area to begin to bring buses under local control for the first time in almost 40 years.

The scheme will be brought to you through the Bee Network app as well as there website that is due to go live in the coming weeks. This means that unlimited journeys on any bus service and any chosen Metrolink zone will cost as little as £5.40. However, unlimited travel on all buses and the entirety of the Metrolink Network will cost you £7.80 off-peak and £9.50 at peak times. In comparison, the average cost to park a car in the city centre of Manchester is on average £7 for two hours and £10.27 for three hours and that’s before factoring in the cost of fuel.

This move follows on from the daily capped bus fairs that were introduced last September, which were brought in a year earlier than originally planned to help with the cost of living crisis. These daily capped bus fairs are now being for at least another year until September 2024. The fares that have been capped at £2 for single journeys (£1 for children) and £5 for an AnyBus all day travel card (£2.50 for children) have proved to be immensely popular and therefore, has contributed to an estimated 12% increase in bus trips.

The ultimate aim for the Bee Network is to make travel around the county more simplified, integrated and cheaper for people to use. Greater Manchester’s plan for a ‘London-style’, high volume, low fare, transport system, will transform the way in which people travel across Greater Manchester.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “We know that lower fares make a real difference to people – particularly in today’s challenging times – so I am delighted to be able to announce that not only are we extending the capped bus fares for at least another year, we are cutting the cost of travel even more with our new Bee AnyBus + tram tickets, making multi-modal journeys 20% cheaper from September than they are today.

 “We are working to deliver a network for our millions of residents and visitors that is every bit as good as the one Londoners have – one that has frequent, reliable services and low fares – and it starts by bringing buses back under local control in three months’ time.

 “With the potential to travel across the whole of Greater Manchester by bus for just £5 – or as little as £7.80 with the entire tram network included too, the lower fares represent great value for money, particularly compared to the cost of travelling by car.

 “Cutting the cost of public transport benefits everyone and I want it to be a lasting and defining part of the Bee Network. That can only happen if more people use it, so my plea today is for everyone to get on board with us and help keep fares low. You’ll be better off with the Bee Network.

As part of the Bee Network, Greater Manchester is aiming to bring buses back under local control in three phases. They plan to start in Wigan, Bolton as well as parts of Salford and Bury, with services to be operated by Go North West and Diamond from 24 September 2023.

They then plan to begin the second phase in Rochdale, Oldham and sections of Manchester, Salford and Tameside from 24^th March 2024, with Stagecoach, First and Dimond today announced as the operators that will run these services. As well as performance and reliability being a priority, bringing buses back under local control is proving to be more efficient and effective than the current situation.

Following the launch of the new Bee AnyBus + Tram tickets, TfGM will be working towards a touch-in and touch-out contactless system that will cap travel made across buses and trams, they aim to launch this in early 2025, in line with the final phase of bus franchising.

In support of the ambition for full integration of the local train services into the Bee Network by the end of the decade, today the Mayor also confirmed that the proposed route for the contactless pilot on rail travel in Greater Manchester was subject to final business case approval and funding. TfGM has been working closely with Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) and the Department for Transport (DfT) to develop the pilot on services between Stalybridge and  Victoria, as well as Glossop and Piccadilly.

The pilot will aim to allow passengers to touch-in and out at the start and end of their journeys and just like the Metrolink, their fare will be automatically worked out for them, creating a stress free travel experience. This will allow passengers to travel without buying a ticket in advance for the first time in Greater Manchester and provide a faster and more convenient way to travel.

Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, Vernon Everitt, said: “We know that customers and businesses want easy and simple access to the whole transport system and the creation of the integrated Bee Network, bringing together buses, trams, trains and cycle hire, will transform transport in the region. September is the start of implementing this very exciting journey.

 “We are also delighted to confirm today which routes have been chosen to pilot the very first contactless payment system – that will automatically calculate a passenger’s fare for them – on services outside London. This is all being taken forward in partnership with the DfT, Greater British Railways transition team and local transport operators as part of the recent Trailblazer deal agreed between the GMCA and Government.

 “This all signifies further significant progress towards delivering the transport network that our residents, businesses and visitors deserve for a rapidly growing and thriving city-region.”

The leader of the Rochdale council Cllr Neil Emmott added: “From September bus journeys from this part of the borough and across greater Manchester will be 20% cheaper and that is very important at the moment in the current cost of living crisis in this country. This will help our residents to access public transport far more easily and far more cheaply.”

“It is important today that we look at first of all another aspect because since deregulation in 1986 some of our communities have lost bus services because they were necessarily deemed as profitable, what this now gives us a chance to do is feed into the Manchester Bee Network from local districts to raise areas that have lost bus services or from areas that could do with buses more frequently.”

“It’s a better service for our residents in those areas, so what we are launching today is a revolution.”

Andy Burnham added, “We are grateful for the support we have received from government, that has helped us retain services and introduce lower fares, but under the current system the way that funding is allocated is unpredictable and inconsistent – not just in Greater Manchester, but elsewhere too.

“A good transport system needs certainty and stability to keep people connected with jobs, education and other essential services. Failure to do so leaves transport authorities like ours facing a cycle of declining services and increasing fares.

“That is why we need to look again at how public transport is funded in all parts of the country and we will be bringing proposals forward to government and opposition parties during party conferences later this year on just that.”