450,000 passengers have used the contactless tap and go payment system launched by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) on Bee Network buses just one month ago!

The account-based ticketing back office underlying the system, provided by Vix Technology, manages contactless payments at scale. Enabling fast fare calculation and automatic fare caps, it delivers a simple, good value fare payment experience that transport users love! 

TfGM’s passengers appear to be no exception, clocking up more than 2 million tap and go bus journeys in the first four weeks, with 99,000 contactless journeys on one day alone (April 3) – the busiest day so far! This enthusiastic adoption follows the roll-out of the system, which was already live on Manchester’s trams, to the bus network. 

The integrated system makes journeys using both transport modes feel easier. Trips are all subject to a unified fare structure, with daily and weekly caps being automatically triggered. 

Michael Hart, Chief Revenue Officer at Vix Technology says, “We’re delighted to see how passengers are embracing the new system. It brings Manchester’s public transit users an easy experience like they get in London and other major global cities. They can just tap and go, and always pay the best available fare for their journey.”

Contactless payments, using Vix Technology’s back office, were already available on Metrolink with more than 16.5 million tram journeys made using it last year – a 20% increase on the previous year. TfGM celebrated exceptional adoption among other key statistics released at the start of April to celebrate achievements during its first year of re-regulation.

Michael Hart says, “We knew there was an appetite for contactless EMV payments in Manchester, as the system has been hugely popular on trams. Now, with the delivery of a multi-modal, integrated payment system, we can see the benefits are even greater, making journeys simpler, and more affordable and convenient than ever. We hope this will encourage even more people to leave their car at home and choose public transport.”

TfGM says enabling seamless journeys is key to the success of the Bee Network. It plans to fold local train services into a multimodal system by the end of the decade to empower passengers to travel when, where and how they want without having to plan or buy tickets in advance.