New half-price tickets in fares shake-up

Oldham’s youngsters will pay half fare on their way to school — instead of the 80p they pay now — and pensioners will lose their right to travel cheaply in the rush hour after Greater Manchester’s council leaders agreed savings at a meeting in Oldham.

The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) fixed Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority’s budget at £184.6m — £10.7m more than last year. Oldham’s ratepayers will contribute £15.5m — the sixth highest in the county and £700,000 more than last year.

The leaders heard that GMITA would be short of £23.4m over the next three years without the action.

Raising the concessionary fare to half fare will save £8.3m and stopping cheap rush-hour travel another £1m. Over 60s will keep their free bus travel after 9.30am because it is a national scheme funded by the Government. But the age they qualify for the concession is gradually being raised to 66 by 2020.

The Chronicle reported last week fears that Oldham’s pensioners would lose their off-peak free train and tram travel. That has been preserved but they will lose their cheap travel in the rush hour and have to pay half the commercial fares like under 16s and the disabled. Another disappointment for Oldhamers was that hopes of providing free Metroshuttle buses in the town centre – as enjoyed in Manchester, Bolton, and Stockport — have been abandoned.