Lower fares led to around 1.5 million extra journeys being made on buses across Greater Manchester in the first three months since the £2 and £5 caps were introduced, according to analysis by transport bosses.
Reduced bus fares of £2 for an adult single ticket and £5 for an adult daily ticket came into force from September 4 last year - with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) today releasing the findings of a detailed report commissioned to evaluate the initial period.
The report said bus patronage - the number of passengers - increased by 10 per cent for the period September 2022 to the November and the new fares are thought to have directly contributed to an increase of at least five per cent - which equates to around 1.5m additional journeys.
TfGM said it was 'difficult to directly attribute' what proportion of the 10 per cent increase was down to the new fares and what 'is attributable' to post-Covid recovery and other factors.
The report said: "Operator sales data, covering all ticket types and including those which had their fares increased in September, shows net patronage growth of around five per cent compared to their own forecast of expected sales without the scheme.
"This suggests a positive impact on patronage of the order of what we should have expected from the average level of fare reduction.
"Further analysis is needed once more data is available to fully attribute the impact of the fares offer on patronage. If the indicative impact on patronage is correct, a five per cent increase over three months, this represents a significant result in the context of bus patronage and equates to approximately 1.5 million additional journeys over that period."
The study says the average cost of travel for bus users has reduced by approximately 17 per cent as a result, with the lower fares also said to have 'opened-up travel opportunities' and people's 'horizons', as 60 per cent of those surveyed by TfGM for the first evaluation of the new fares said they can now travel as much as they want, to more places more often.
And around three quarters of people surveyed also said the new fare system has directly helped them combat the cost of living crisis.
The fares offer was extended to £21 weekly tickets in January, but the impact of that isn't captured in the evaluation, which is based on operators' ticket sales and around 2,400 survey responses.
The report said in effect, bus users 'receive a direct cash benefit', which TfGM estimates to be equivalent to an overall average fare reduction of approximately 17 per cent. But it added: "Some passengers could have saved as much as 50 per cent on routes that were most expensive pre-dating the cap.
"We found a positive impact on travel horizons, as those using either the £2 single or the £5 all operator day tickets were significantly more likely to say the new bus fares mean they can travel as much as they want, to more places and more often. The new fares save them money and have been helpful to their cost of living."
TfGM says it also found the new fares had attracted more people to travel by bus who didn't use buses before, indicating a likely 'shift from car to bus'. The survey found that 5 per cent of those using the £2 single or £5 day tickets didn't travel by bus in Greater Manchester before.
"This indicates behaviour change has taken place, resulting in trip and revenue generation," adds the report. "This shows the offer has successfully attracted new customers to the network."
Under the new franchised system, Greater Manchester authorities will be in the driver's seat when it comes to bus planning, with services run under contract by private operators. All buses in Greater Manchester will be under public control by January 5, 2025 with the first two boroughs to benefit, Wigan and Bolton, by September this year.
TfGM said the next phase of evaluation would begin this month, with results expected in the summer of this year. And it said a further review of the fares offer would then take place to 'determine whether the £2/£5/£21 fares levels should continue beyond the end of the one-year pilot in September 2023'.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: "I am absolutely delighted to see the benefits our lower fares are having. Not only are we putting money back into people's pockets when so many are struggling with the cost of living, it is helping to grow bus use and expand horizons.
"Lower fares are just one part of our vision for the Bee Network, and over the course of this year bus passengers can expect to see more progress as we bring buses back under local control for the first time in nearly 40 years and start to roll out a range of improvements, including the Bee Network Customer Contact Centre, improvements to passenger information and a new app."
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