Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has introduced a smartcard for the city’s entire tram and bus network.
The latest phase of TfGM’s Get Me There system, working with operators through Greater Manchester Travelcards Ltd (GMTL), allows users with a Get Me There account to view and purchase a range of products online.
Season ticket holders will benefit from added security as any lost or stolen tickets and travelcards that have more than seven days left to run will be replaced, with customers being able to order new cards online.
As well as being able to buy a new range of multi-modal bus and tram products, new 16-18 and corporate smartcards have also been introduced.
The 16-18 card will grant half price bus travel, after a new offer was agreed with bus operators and GMTL. The half price one-day ticket launches in September.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “The expansion of Get Me There will certainly help make travel easier and, for the first time, enable people across Greater Manchester to hop on and off trams and buses with their smartcard.
“Significantly, the 16-18 card will see the cost of a bus day ticket cut in half – reducing the cost of journeys and enabling our young people to more easily access work and leisure opportunities, training, education and skills.
“All this can only be good news and will, I hope, encourage more people than ever before to get on board with public transport, which will help to tackle congestion and air quality issues.”
Trevor Roberts, Chairman of GMTL – which operates under the brand name System One – said: “We are pleased to work with our partners TfGM to deliver more products onto the smart platform.
“We have been working hard to get growth and encourage our current customers to make the switch and that is being delivered with more and more buying via Get Me There and other compatible smartcards.”
Chair of the TfGM Committee, Cllr Andrew Fender, commented: “I’m delighted that today we are launching a smart ticket that allows truly flexible, multi-modal travel on Greater Manchester’s trams and buses for the first time.
“We are on a journey with Get Me There and smart-ticketing. We know the travelling public wants a world-class, integrated, pan-Northern smart-ticketing system, and this latest development brings us a step closer towards realising this ambition.”
