How Manchester passengers can save £250 on buses

Commuters will pay £2.20 a day for buses if they apply for an annual ticket

Bus passengers in Greater Manchester could save about £250 on an annual bus ticket, as a result of a new deal.

In 2025, following an agreement between transport officials and credit unions, commuters will be able to pay for their travel in weekly instalments of £15 instead of buying a seven-day pass for £20.

Alternatively they can pay in monthly instalments of £67, instead of £85 for a 28-day travelcard.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said: “This is going to save people a lot of money.

“Instead of paying £20 for a weekly, people can spend £15. It works out as £2.20 a day.”

A £2 "hopper fee" has also been introduced, which means passengers can use an unlimited number of buses in an hour for £2, and weekly bus tickets are being reduced by £1 to £20.

Due to the devolution of transport powers from central government to Greater Manchester authorities, the lower fares differ from the rest of the country, where the bus price cap will rise to £3.

Long-term commitment

The Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) authority will again be relying on reserves to plug a gap in their books and need to increase public transport usage and other sources of income in the next year.

The mayor repeated his appeal for more residents to travel on public transport, saying: “The more people use it, the more we’ll be able to keep these low fare offers in place.”

He said annual ticket-holders were “committing to being long-term bus users, so it’s good for us as well”.

The discounts follow a partnership between TfGM and 10 credit unions across the region.

Chris Canham, chief executive of Bolton-based Hoot Credit Union, said: “Our job is to help people financially and this is just another way we can help people in the community access services that otherwise they might not be able to afford.

“The upfront cost of an annual ticket is expensive – especially at this time of year.”

Commuters can apply for the tickets at a credit union or online from 5 December.