Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has given its seal of approval for the name of its much anticipated new smart ticketing system, due to be introduced in stages starting in 2014.

The new scheme – dubbed Get Me There – will make journeys by public transport more flexible, whether by tram, by bus, by train – or any combination of the three. The technology behind the scheme is built to be as flexible as possible, accommodating contactless bank cards, bus passes and NFC-enabled smart phones.

There will also be a dedicated card– called My Get Me There – for the scheme, but people with an existing TfGM-issued concessionary photo card, such as an igo or a national concessionary scheme card, will be able to use these cards instead.

Passengers will be able to board by simply touching their Get Me There-enabled device – be it a card or, in the future, a phone – on to an electronic validator, which will then check if they have a valid travel card or enough pay-as-you-go credit in their account to travel.

With more than 30 independent, commercial bus operators, a tram network and several inter-regional rail operators running public transport services across and into the region, riders will be able to use bank cards, bus passes and mobile phones to pay for ticketless journeys.

The installation of Get Me There validators will be carried out on Metrolink stops later this year, with passengers using it in the second half of 2014, bus passengers in 2015 and rail thereafter.

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