Fines for travelling on trams in Greater Manchester without valid tickets or passes are set to increase by 20% before the end of the month.
As part of what are said to be ongoing efforts to “tackle fare evasion on public transport” in the region, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced today that, in just a couple of weeks time, anyone who decides to travel on the Metrolink without a valid ticket or pass could see themselves hit with maximum fine of £120 – which will be reduced to £60, if paid within two weeks.
The fine for failing to pay by contactless will also rise to £60 at the same time, which is an even greater percentage increase overall.
TfGM has revealed that almost 55,000 penalty fares have been issued so far in 2023, with just under 6,000 cases brought to court and some defendants eventually receiving fines of up to £450.
At the moment, the maximum penalty for fare evasion on the Metrolink network is set at £100, with a reduction to £50 if paid within two weeks, while the fine for failing to pay by contactless is currently set at £45.
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But all that is set to change from Sunday 24 September.
Fines for Metrolink fare evasion to increase by 20% as part of ‘crackdown’ / Credit: TfGM
These fines are also being introduced on Bee Network franchised bus services, which are launching in Bolton, Wigan, and parts of Salford, Bury, and Manchester on the same date.
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With the increased charges set to take effect before this month is out, TfGM is urging passengers to make sure they’ve bought their tickets ahead of boarding, and always touch-in at the start and touch-out at the end of every journey when using contactless, smart cards, or concessionary passes to avoid being handed fines.
As part of this increased TfGM “crackdown”, dozens of additional Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) are also being employed to carry-out ticket inspections, as well as to help passengers travelling on the tram, it has been confirmed.
Plain clothes officers are also being deployed by Metrolink’s operator with the sole purpose of “targeting” passengers who deliberately avoid buying a ticket.
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Almost 55,000 penalty fares have been issued so far in 2023 / Credit: TfGM
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, says tackling fare evasion will “continue to be a priority” as the region moves over to the new integrated Bee Network, and it’s something that he’s personally taking “very seriously”.
“While most people who travel by tram do so legally by purchasing a ticket, there are some who continue to think the rules do not apply to them,” Mr Burnham said.
“Our message is clear – if you travel on Metrolink without paying, you’ll now face a higher penalty fare, and you could be prosecuted.”
Featured Image – TfGM
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Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
‘The average cost of a pint’ in the UK by region, according to the latest data
Danny Jones
Does it feel like pints keep getting more and more expensive almost every week at this point? Yes. Yes, it does, and while you can’t expect a city as big as Manchester to be one of the cheapest places to get one in the UK, we do often wonder how it compares to other parts of the country.
Well, as it happens, someone has recently crunched the numbers for us across the nation, breaking down which regions pay the most and the least for their pints.
The data has been examined by business management consultancy firm, CGA Strategy, using artificial intelligence and information from the latest Retail Price Index figures to find out what the ‘average cost of a pint’ is down south, up North and everywhere in between.
While the latest statistics provided by the group aren’t granular enough to educate us on Greater Manchester’s pint game exactly, we can show you how our particular geographic region is looking on the leaderboard at the moment.
That’s right, we Mancunians and the rest of the North West are technically joint mid-table when it comes to the lowest average cost of a pint, sharing the places from 3rd to 8th – according to CGA, anyway.
Powered by consumer intelligence company, NIQ (NielsenIQ) – who also use AI and the latest technology to deliver their insights – we can accept it might seem like it’s been a while since you’ve paid that little for a pint, especially in the city centre, but these are the stats they have published.
Don’t shoot the messenger, as they say; unless, of course, they’re trying to rob you blind for a bev. Fortunately, we’ve turned bargain hunting at Manchester bars into a sport at this point.
We might not boast the lowest ‘average’ pint cost in the UK, but we still have some bloody good places to keep drinking affordable.
London tops the charts (pretends to be shocked)
While some of you may have scratched your eyes at the supposed average pint prices here in the North West, it won’t surprise any of you to see that London leads the way when it came to the most expensive pint when it came to average cost in the UK.
To be honest, £5.44 doesn’t just sound cheap but virtually unheard of these days.
CGA has it that the average cost of a beer in the British capital is actually down 15p from its price last September, but as we all know, paying upwards of £7 for a pint down that end of the country is pretty much par for the course the closer you get to London.
Yet more reason you can be glad you live around here, eh? And in case you thought you were leaving this article with very little, think again…
Emily Sergeant -
14th September 2023 
