Greater Manchester has confirmed details of its new, streamlined fare structure for Bee Network buses, coinciding with the final stage of bringing all buses under local control.
From 5 January, the Bee Network will operate across the entire city region, marking a significant milestone in Greater Manchester’s plans for an integrated public transport system.
This move means bus travel will become more affordable and straightforward for passengers.
Key changes to fares include:
- Single Fares: Adults can travel for 2 GBP, and children for 1 GBP on any Bee Network bus. This is lower than the national cap of 3 GBP.
- Hopper Tickets: Single fares will allow passengers to transfer between Bee Network buses within one hour of purchase at no additional cost.
- Day Ticket: 5 GBP for adults and 2.50 GBP for children.
- Weekly Ticket: 20 GBP for adults and 10 GBP for children.
- 28-Day Ticket: 80 GBP for adults and 40 GBP for children.
- Annual Ticket: A new option priced at 2.20 GBP per day, offering savings and flexible payment options through local Credit Unions.
The changes are made possible by Greater Manchester’s adoption of a franchising model, with a significant proportion of the fleet being new vehicles. By April, 66% of buses in the southern parts of the city-region will be new.
The Bee Network app is also being enhanced, enabling passengers to track buses and access real-time stop information. In March 2025, contactless payment options will launch, allowing passengers to tap in and out across buses and trams, ensuring they pay the best daily or weekly fare.
What’s more, the introduction of capped fares will further simplify multimodal travel.
A ticket for any bus + 1 tram zone will be priced at 6 GBP, any bus + 2 tram zones will cost 7.30 GBP, any bus + 3 tram zones will cost 8.70 GBP and any bus + all tram zones will be priced at 9.50 GBP.
Plans are also underway to integrate eight commuter rail lines into the Bee Network by 2028, with additional routes expected by 2030. This would allow for seamless travel across bus, tram, and train, with passengers benefiting from unified ticketing and capped fares.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:Our mission, when we set out to build the Bee Network, was to make getting around Greater Manchester easier, cheaper and more reliable. Doing so will mean we connect people to education, jobs and each other like never before. We’re sticking to that promise.
We’re cutting the price of travel to get more people on board and putting an end to the complicated and disjointed tickets that people have previously struggled with.
