METROLINK’S new ‘simple, convenient and flexible’ ticket zone system is now operational.
Previously described as “barmy” by Councillor Howard Sykes, the change came into force on Sunday, January 13.
Shaw and Crompton and stops onwards to Rochdale have been placed in zone four of four, with Derker straddling three and four.
Transport for Greater Manchester said: “Stop-to-stop tickets will be replaced with simpler, more flexible and better value zone based tickets.”
The ‘simple, convenient and flexible’ system is further described: “When you buy a Metrolink ticket you will choose which zone or zones you want the ticket to be valid for.
“Your ticket will be valid for all the stops in your chosen zone(s).
“If you buy a one-day anytime travelcard for zones 1+2+3, your ticket will be valid for all journeys you make that day, between any stops on any line, in zones 1, 2 or 3.
“You must have a ticket which is valid for all the zones you travel through.
“If you make a journey from Manchester Airport in zone 4 through the city centre in zone 1 and out to Rochdale Town Centre in zone 4, you must have a zones 1+2+3+4 ticket, as your journey travels through all four zones.
“There are 11 stops which are on the border of two zones. These stops are in two fare zones.”
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“If you have a paper or app ticket and want to make a journey that starts or ends in a zone not covered by your current ticket, you can by an add on ticket for only the additional zone(s) not covered by your current ticket.
“For example, if you have a 28-day zone 1+2 paper or app ticket, and on one day want to travel in zones 1, 2 and 3, you can purchase a one-day zone 3 only ticket for the portion of your journey not covered by your current ticket.”
TfGM add: “The zones have been determined based on the same factors used to design the previous stop to stop prices.
“These include the distance and time taken to travel, along with other local factors which have been taken into account as the network has expanded.”
However, Cllr Sykes said: “This will mean residents in Shaw and Crompton will pay significantly more than those in the rest of Oldham Borough to travel into Manchester or to travel into Oldham town centre for leisure or to work.
“It will be cheaper to go to Rochdale than Oldham.
“It will also cost the hundreds of people who use it to travel to work in Shaw more as well.”