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The Manc -
20th April 2020
The Manc -
20th April 2020 News
New ‘cheaper’ annual bus and tram ticket launching in Greater Manchester next month
Emily Sergeant
A new annual bus and tram ticket allowing customers unlimited travel for less than £5 a day is launching next month.
Merely weeks after the historic move seeing all the region’s buses return to local control at the start of the year, and following the unveiling of ambitious plans to bring all rail services in Greater Manchester onto the Bee Network shortly after, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has now turned its attentions onto pricing.
In a bid to build on current annual offering of Bee Network bus tickets, TfGM has now announced that a new ticket annual ticket covering both bus and tram journeys will be launching just over a month’s time.
Launching 23 March, get unlimited bus and tram travel from £2.75 a day with a new multi-modal annual ticket. 🚌🚃
— Bee Network (@BeeNetwork) January 28, 2025
Spread payments monthly or annually – at no extra cost – with your local Credit Union.
Find out more: https://t.co/WXbvSb4KQ6 pic.twitter.com/1r2rAd2M9v
Customers who purchase the annual ticket when it launches are set to save 15%, when compared to buying 13 28-day tickets – with the overall price depending on the numbers of Metrolink zones chosen, ranging from one to all four zones.
You’ll also be able to spread the payments monthly or annually too, and at no extra cost, all with the support of a Credit Union loan.
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According to TfGM, keeping fares low like this is “a key part of the Bee Network”, but it has only been made possible by Greater Manchester becoming the first area to bring buses back under local control in 40 years.
As well as the existing Bee Bus annual ticket, this new multi-modal annual ticket will also sit alongside the existing Metrolink annual travelcard, which provides unlimited travel for tram passengers through their chosen zones, as well as the new £2 ‘hopper’ fare that allows passengers to use multiple buses within one hour and the reduced seven and 28-day and annual tickets.
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The new ticket will be available from 23 March, which is the same day as the launch of the highly-anticipated London-style transport system, allowing passengers to tap in and tap out on Bee Network buses and trams.
Read more:
- Andy Burnham urges Greater Manchester residents to ‘switch to the Bee Network’ in 2025
- All Greater Manchester buses are now under local control following ‘historic move’
- Plans to bring Greater Manchester’s rail services onto the Bee Network unveiled
The move will see a maximum daily cap of £9.50, and weekly cap of £41 for unlimited bus and tram travel anywhere in Greater Manchester – with off peak options costing even less.
Featured Image – Bee Network
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Manchester’s Freight Island is expanding into the North East
Danny Jones
Big news for Manchester’s hospitality pedigree as Freight Island is soon to expand beyond 0161, swapping the North West for the North East for their second venture in none other than Newcastle.
Mayfield’s shipping container village packed with food, drink, entertainment and more has become a go-to destination all of its own over the past couple of years.
First opening back in 2020 and undergoing somewhat of a rebrand in 2023, Freight Island welcomes thousands of visitors every week, serving up stunning selections from independent traders based in and around the city, the North West and beyond.
Now a well-known regional attraction beyond just us Greater Mancunians, Freight’s reputation has now grown large enough for the owners to expand into fellow Northern city Newcastle later this year.
Hopoing to take further inspiration from the likes of waterside amusements like Coney Island in New York and Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen (though this location will be a good 15 minutes from the Tyne River), the second Freight Island venue is due to open this autumn.
The reported £16 million investment is part of a Newcastle City Council’s wider £50m City Centre Transformation Programme, including an extensive redevelopment of the Pilgrim Street district.
Set to span an impressive 60,000 square feet, the new site will see the top floor of the former Debenhams unit reclaimed along with an additional roof-top space, where local food and drinks vendors will be able to set up shop.
Beyond your standard burgers, beers and other popular scran, Freight Island Newcastle will also host the UK’s first wine tanks as part of a new sustainability-focused single-producer-led wine programme, as well as specialist Aperitivo cocktail bar with expertly crafted drinks.
They’re promising everything “from kids’ raves and Michelin-star level dining to live performances, late-night parties” and more.
For instance, right now Freight Island has transformed a good chunk of its indoor space into the biggest Six Nations fan zone in the country.
Speaking via the Council, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Freight Island, Dan Morris, said: “This venue has been designed with scale, prominence, and long-term investment in mind and we’re delighted to have worked with Pradera Lateral, XPE Group plc and Newcastle City Council to bring it to Newcastle.
“We hope to replicate the huge success of Freight Island in Manchester, where it has already contributed over £30 million to the local economy. This incredible venue in the heart of a very special city offers a truly exciting opportunity to create a cultural space that could become a focal point of Newcastle for years to come.
Cllr Dan Greenhough, Newcastle City Council Cabinet Member for Economy, Jobs and Skills, added “The launch of Freight Island at Eldon Square marks an important moment in the transformation of Newcastle city centre and is something that I’m sure our residents will be incredibly excited about.
Read more:
- A massive East Asian street food fair is returning to Manchester next month
- Manchester’s Pixel Bar has received a seriously next-gen upgrade
- A brand new two-level food hall is coming to Manchester city centre
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — CGIs (via Newcastle City Council)/The Manc Group
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