Skip to main content

Smarter bus travel comes to Greater Manchester

Millions of bus passengers in Greater Manchester will benefit from cheaper fares with the introduction of new smart multi-operator bus travel. The scheme is one of the largest in the UK outside London and is the result of collaboration between more than 30 bus operators through industry body Greater Manchester Travelcards (GMTL), the organisation behind the System One brand, in partnership with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). Passengers can now purchase multi-operator travel, which is store
November 19, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Millions of bus passengers in Greater Manchester will benefit from cheaper fares with the introduction of new smart multi-operator bus travel.

The scheme is one of the largest in the UK outside London and is the result of collaboration between more than 30 bus operators through industry body Greater Manchester Travelcards (GMTL), the organisation behind the System One brand, in partnership with 817 Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).  

Passengers can now purchase multi-operator travel, which is stored on a smart card and can be used on buses across Greater Manchester. TfGM say fares will be cut by an average of 10 per cent for the new electronic products compared to the equivalent existing printed products.

The new product range, branded get me there, is an extension of the equivalent existing printed System One multi-operator products. Customers will be able to load the new products onto  widely available smart cards issued by bus operators, including StagecoachSmart or by TfGM, including igo passes for young people, other concessionary passes, and a get me there smart card.  Passengers then touch in at smart readers when they board the bus to validate their travel.  

The scheme has involved joint working between private and public sector organisations and represents a combined multi-million pound investment by Greater Manchester’s major bus operators and TfGM, in partnership with GMTL, to support the regional economy by making it cheaper and easier for people to travel by bus.  

The announcement follows a pledge made last year by the country’s major bus companies, which include 476 Arriva, 6635 First and 805 Stagecoach, to deliver multi-operator smart ticketing to millions of bus customers across England during 2015. It also delivers on a commitment by TfGM to introduce the next stages of its get me there smart ticketing scheme for Greater Manchester before the end of the year.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “Smart ticketing will transform everyday journeys in this great city, making travelling across transport modes easier and saving people money. We’re committed to rolling out smart ticketing across the country through our Smart Cities Partnership, and it’s great that Greater Manchester is leading the way.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • EIB agrees backing to upgrade Scotland’s core motorway network
    February 25, 2014
    The European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed to provide a funding contribution of US$292 million towards the completion of the motorway link between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The project includes the completion of the M8 motorway between Scotland’s two largest cities and major improvements to the M73 and M74 to reduce congestion and safety and improve travel times on one of Scotland’s busiest road networks. “The European Investment Bank is committed to supporting crucial investment in essential infrast
  • Personal Rapid Transit, clear benefits for European cities
    July 26, 2012
    David Crawford watches the race to get the world's first PRT system up and running. To paraphrase the old joke about buses bunching, you seem to have to wait several decades for a Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system, and then half a dozen come along together. Currently, in fact, there are well over that number of schemes for driverless electric passenger-carrying 'pod' networks at various stages of planning, design and implementation around the world. Locations range from a straight-off-the-drawing board ne
  • Littlepay helps California buses go contactless
    August 5, 2021
    Littlepay is also enabling tap to ride in the Portuguese city of Porto
  • Init wins US electronic fare collection system
    April 6, 2016
    US public transportation company The Rapid recently awarded Init a contract for the implementation of an electronic fare collection system. The Rapid operates the public transit bus service for the metropolitan area of Grand Rapids, Michigan and beyond. The contract calls for the delivery of an account-based smart card and mobile ticketing solution which will improve The Rapid’s service offerings on its fixed-route lines. Public transport vehicles will be equipped with Init’s onboard ticket readers/valid