Tram fares set for a rise

METROLINK is proposing to increase its fares in the new year – though the price of some tickets will stay the same.

Council bosses will consider raising tram fares by an average of 2.2 per cent, with half of all tickets due to increase by up to 4pc and some travelcards by 10pc.

But the cost of single journeys will be frozen, in a move aimed at helping more people to switch to tram travel to reduce congestion and improve air quality.

Passengers will be able to buy cheaper ‘early bird’ tickets and travel card bundles under the proposals.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said the move is in recognition of overcrowded carriages at peak-times and the delay of new trams.

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Metrolink is a worldclass system entirely owned, managed and run at a local level, and that is why we are able to be responsive to the needs of the travelling public in Greater Manchester.

“We recognise that the cost of travelling is a concern for many people, and that we need to deliver a transport system that is both affordable and fit for purpose. This is a broad package of changes that will mean frozen fares and below-inflation caps on price rises for the majority of tickets sold, as well as a small increase to some fares.”

If approved by the combined authority, fares will rise by a belowinflation rate and previously planned above-inflation rises put on hold.

An ‘early bird’ offer, which had been successfully trialled last year, will be made a permanent fixture.