Bus fares in Greater Manchester will be capped to help support residents through the cost-of-living crisis.
As of September, adults will pay no more than £2 for any single bus journey region-wide, and children’s prices will be no more than £1 per single, making Greater Manchester the first conurbation outside of London to do so.
Currently, a single adult fare from Bury to Bolton costs £5, meaning when the new capped fares are brought in next month, bus users will make a saving of 150 per cent on that journey.
Bolton had already been chosen, alongside Wigan, to be the first boroughs in Greater Manchester to benefit from mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham’s scheme to renationalise the buses.
It had been planned that Bolton and Wigan would be the pilots for the plans next year, followed by the rest of metropolitan area in 2024, but in the face of inflation and the rise of energy bills, Mr Burnham announced yesterday, Wednesday, he is bringing it forwards for all – temporarily at least.
He said: “The introduction of lower, simpler fares across our bus network signifies the biggest shake-up of our bus system in close to 40 years and comes at a critical time.
“Hundreds of thousands of households across Greater Manchester are deeply worried about money, with fears of even higher bills just around the corner.
“As the most used form of public transport, with around 2.5m trips every week across the city-region, introducing lower fares for bus passengers is the best way we can help the most people with the cost of travel right now.
“Coupled with the extension of Our Pass, which provides free travel for 16 – 18-year-olds, we are taking steps to make an immediate and tangible difference to people’s lives by putting money back into their pockets.”
He added: “While this is the right thing to do, we cannot at this point guarantee that this new fare structure will be permanent. It will be reviewed annually. But the more that people use the buses, the more likely it is that we will be able to sustain it.”
Andy Burnham's Bolton bus plan in the clear after Court of Appeal ruling
To ensure that as many people as possible are aware of the new clear and simple low bus fares and how to take advantage of them, the mayor today launched the #GetOnBoard campaign and is calling on people across Greater Manchester to support the building of the new Bee Network by switching to public transport and helping make the new fare system financially sustainable in the long term.
Gary Nolan, chief executive of OneBus, the Greater Manchester Bus Operators Association, said: “Buses are relied upon by communities everywhere to get around.
“These new lower fares add to a range of value products already available from local bus companies and System One, and will not only help all those worried about household bills, they will boost bus use and help our operators that are also struggling with significantly higher running costs.
“This is good news for local bus companies and all who use them, and we are pleased to support it.”
If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at lewis.finney@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @lewisfinney18
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