The full list of options are:

Find £1.25m to buy 20 new buses and spend £50,000 a year on maintenance.

Lease 20 buses at £290,000 a year. This would cost more in the longterm than buying the vehicles outright.

Buy fewer vehicles every year depending on cash available and supplement with leased buses

Reduce the fleet and ‘use other available resources to deliver the service’. This would involve ‘efficient use’ of buses used in social care, special educational needs and the health service.

RING and Ride is operated by Greater Manchester Accessible Transport Ltd with cash from TfGM, which comes largely from the 10 authorities.

A TfGM spokesman said fare increases were necessary and followed consultation with passengers, who said they felt the service still offered value for money.

He added: “We know this is a significant change for passengers and we are working with GMATL to do everything we can to let them know about the changes in advance, while also ensuring that a suitable payment method is in place.

“We continuously review the services we pay for to make sure they provide the best service for customers, value for the public purse, and are delivered in the most cost effective way.”

Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester Mayor said: “Ring and Ride is a lifeline for some of the most vulnerable people in Greater Manchester. As TfGM looks to replace some of the ageing fleet I want to assure people that on my watch Ring and Ride will always be there for those who need it.”

Officers will now develop options to replace the 20 vehicles while ‘engaging with Districts and the Health Authority regarding longer term opportunities on vehicle and service integration.’