Commercial opportunities

Transport for Greater Manchester is quietly turning trams, buses and stations into ad space, and the money it makes is being spent on the Bee Network roll-out and on keeping fares lower than they might otherwise be.

The move matters to Oldham commuters because every poster, sponsorship wrap or film crew that hires a Metrolink platform helps pay for the zero-emission buses now appearing on the 81 and 83 routes, and for the smart-ticket kit being fitted at Derker and Shaw & Crompton stops.

TfGM says past deals with the BBC, Manchester City FC and Manchester Pride have already brought in steady income; it is now offering brands the chance to badge entire stations, wrap double-deckers, or shoot commercials inside depots that are normally closed to the public.

Alongside advertising, the body is marketing spare land and empty units from its property portfolio for rent or redevelopment, arguing that extra revenue is one of the few tools it has left to plug the gap left by shrinking central-government grants.

No figures have been released, so residents cannot yet tell whether the new push will noticeably hold down ticket prices, but the pledge is that every pound earned externally is a pound that does not have to come from passengers' pockets.