Annual bus pass aims to save commuters £5 a week

The scheme will allow regular commuters to buy an annual bus pass through a credit union

Commuters in a region will soon be able to buy an annual bus pass through a credit union, with the scheme aiming to save £5 a week on fares.

Mayor Andy Burnham said the scheme, which begins on 5 January, would mean commuters could repay the cost in weekly or monthly instalments.

Rochdale credit union Metro Moneywise said the annual pass would give people "a lot of reassurance"

Hopper fares, which allow passengers to buy one ticket and board as many buses as they want for an hour, will also be introduced, along with reduced fairs, Mr Burnham said.

£2 fare cap

The changes will come into effect when the remaining half of Greater Manchester’s buses come into the Bee Network.

Ciara Davies, boss of Metro Moneywise, said it would give those on lower incomes “one less thing to think about”.

“For a lot of people there’s a lot more month than money, so if you get to the end of the month and wonder how you’re going to get to work, this annual bus pass will say you’ve got that sorted and give people a lot of reassurance,” she said.

Should anyone no longer be able to afford the ticket once they’ve taken out what is effectively an interest-free loan, credit union managers are expected to talk through options with the customer — with one option being to cancel the remainder of the pass.

Andy Burnham says he wants to keep low fares on the Bee Network buses

Mr Burnham also announced a fares price reduction for monthly and weekly tickets set to also come into effect on 5 January, from £20 per week (down from £21) or £80 for 28 days (down from £85.40).

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The more that people get onboard, the more we will be able to sustain these low fares.

“It’s an absolute ambition to keep the £2 [adult single fare cap] in place and make it permanent, and I’m working towards that."