In March 2025, Manchester became the next UK city to expand its tap and go payment system to all its bus services, with this being a part of a wider initiative within the city to bring all modes of public transport under one publicly owned authority known as the “Bee network”.
For the first time this has allowed passengers to use a single payment method when using bus services in Greater Manchester, who previously under the privatised system had to pay a separate bus fare depending on which operator they used.
The system calculates the cheapest fare based on the number of journeys a passenger makes. Capping fares at £2 for a single journey, £5 for multiple journeys made in one day, and £20 for multiple journeys made over 7 days.
The new tap and go payment system has become popular with bus passengers, with 450,000 journeys being made under the new system within its first month of operation.
450,000 journeys being made under the new system within its first month of operation.
On the launch of the new system Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, in a statement given by Transport for Greater Manchester (TFGM) commented: “We said we would deliver a London-style transport network for the people and business of Greater Manchester and that is exactly what we have done. We have led the way with franchising and been able to bring busses together with the largest tram network in the country under one system that makes travelling across Greater Manchester easier, more affordable and more convenient than ever before”.
Burnham also acknowledged that the establishment of the tap and go payment system will play a key part in the expansion of the Bee Network by introducing the system to 8 local railway lines by 2028.
Whilst tap and go systems, like the one introduced in Manchester, have the potential to increases ridership their adoption to other transport systems around the world remain relatively scarce.
Many transport systems are put off by the financial costs needed to install a tap and go system across their whole network. This not only includes the cost of installing card readers on every mode of transport for passengers to tap in and out with, but also the installation of new software to calculate the correct fare for a passenger’s journey.
Although TFGM has not released a total figure for the installation of its tap and go system for all its bus services, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority have recently announced a £10m investment plan in developing its own tap and go system for all of its transport within the region.
Cities like Manchester and Liverpool can justify the high installation costs for a tap and go system as they operate complex integrated transport systems with high numbers of passengers who use their services daily. Overtime with more passengers favouring to pay for their journey via tap and go payments, these systems will more likely see a return in their investment by reducing the cost they spend on providing facilities for passengers to purchase physical tickets.
There may not be the same incentive to install a tap and go system if it is going to be used in regions where there is a lower number of passengers who use that network. It may be more cost effective for these networks to keep the current fare collection system in place, as they are less likely to see a return in their investment from installing a tap and go system due to their being a limited number of passengers who are available to use the new system.
Even if transport systems see a high number of passengers who use their services daily, some networks may still not choice to adopt a tap and go system. These networks have already established their own successful fare collection system which passengers have become familiar with on how to use, and which may be more aligned with local cultural norms and values.
Whilst some transport systems may not choice to adopt a tap and go system, they are still investing in other initiates to modernise the way passengers purchase tickets.
The îIe-de-France regional network, the transport authority who is responsible for services in Paris and the wider region, has announced plans to stop the selling of paper tickets for all its services by the end of 2025. Instead, passengers will have to purchase tickets via their app or using the networks Navigo Easy pass. This change is aimed at reducing paper waste, as well as the time it takes passengers to purchase tickets within one of their stations.
On the surface changes in cities such as Manchester and Paris seem like a positive step for transport systems to take who wish to offer a more cost-effective way of providing an easier payment method for passengers to purchase tickets, whilst still being able to offer cheaper fares and travel cards. However, this raises moral questions about whether it is right that we have a cashless society. What if people do not have access to a smartphone, prefer to travel by having a paper ticket, or are reluctant to use card payments?
If more transport systems are looking at more cost-effective ways to improve the way passengers pay for their journey either by the means of digital tickets or tap and go payment methods, this begs the question on wherever paper tickets will still be needed for travel anymore? Or will contactless payment methods simply become the normal way that passengers pay for all public transport in the future?
