Greater Manchester bus fares cap brought forward amid cost-of-living crisis
Andy Burnham hopes it will encourage more people to use buses
Bus fares across Greater Manchester are to be capped from September in a bid to help people during the cost-of-living crisis.
The region's mayor, Andy Burnham, called for the public to back him on buses, as he introduced a £2 cap for a single journey, £1 for children, or £5 for an all-day ticket.
He said the planned reform - which has been brought forward - represents the biggest change for local buses since 1986, when the service was deregulated.
Mr Burnham said the move will also improve public transport, but warned that the scheme will only continue beyond the initial 12 months with public support.
"This is a major change we are announcing this morning," he said on Thursday. "What we've got to do is halt the decline in bus passenger numbers since 1986.
"The more people we can get on the buses, the more we can sustain this new, lower, flatter fare structure.
"If we can get more people on the buses we can then meet the financial impact that comes from reducing fares.
"We do have to bring more money in by having more passengers on buses. And the model we have had is high fares with low passenger numbers.
"Well, we are trying to do the opposite. The more people respond to this offer, the stronger the position we will be in.
"Use the bus so we can make these low fares permanent.
"Please back us on this, use public transport."
Announcing the move in Salford, Mr Burnham declined to give full costings and said the bus operators have yet to all agree to the plans.
The lower fares will initially be funded from central government through the Bus Services Improvement Plan, worth £98 million over a three-year period, given to the 10 boroughs of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Mr Burnham said some of this cash will be used to pay for the introduction of the scheme, but did not give figures, saying the cost will depend on the increase in the number of passengers taking up the cheaper fares and how much bus operators will be reimbursed for charging less for services.
Currently across the region passenger levels are still only at 80% of pre-pandemic levels and 70% on the tram network.
Mr Burnham added: "Your city-region really does need you right now; we are on the cusp of a major change to public transport.
"We will all get what we want, which is a better, London-style public transport system, the more we use buses and trams at this moment in time.
"By using the bus you can actually help make this lower fare structure a permanent feature."
At the moment the region has an estimated 830 bus services run by 30 operators with 150 different ticket types.
Some busy routes near universities and city and town centres are over-supplied with bus services, while more rural areas are under-supplied.
Mr Burnham has pushed through a franchising model, opposed by bus operators, where control over fares, timetables and services is moved away from transport firms and placed in public hands.