Over 2.1 million bus journeys made using Tap & Go in first month

Since launching on 24th March, more than 2.1 million bus journeys have been made using Tap & Go contactless payments on the Bee Network, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has revealed.

More than 450,000 individual customers have used Tap & Go on buses in its first month since launching, making a total of 2,106,963 journeys in four weeks. The busiest day for contactless travel so far was 3rd April, which saw 99,000 journeys made in just a single day.

Tap & Go makes travel easier and works out fares automatically, up to the daily or weekly cap under a single, simple and affordable fare structure across both buses and trams.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said:

“When we launched contactless tap and go a month ago, I called on people to get on board and back the Bee Network, and the millions of journeys made so far show that they have.

“Greater Manchester has delivered a London-style transport network with buses back under local control and integrated into the wider network. The introduction of contactless ‘tap and go’ takes it on another step to delivering a truly modern, integrated payment system that makes travelling easier, more affordable and more convenient than ever before. 

“Tap and go is the best way to pay when using the Bee Network and while we’re off to an incredible start I’d urge everyone to get out the car and give the Bee Network a go.”

Fran Wilkinson, Customer and Growth Director, TfGM, said:

“The introduction of tap and go was a significant undertaking for TfGM and it’s fantastic to see so many people using the new system and benefiting from the benefits it delivers.

“We are committed to ensuring public transport is easy to use, accessible and provides great value for money and will continue to look at new ways to improve the customer offer for everyone.”

Enabling seamless, affordable and convenient journeys is key to the success of the Bee Network, and the tap and go system means customers can travel when, where and how they want without having to plan or buy in advance – and plans are already being developed to include all local train services by the end of the decade.