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Oldham commuters can now tap a bank card, phone or watch on any Bee Network bus or tram reader and ride without buying a ticket first. Transport bosses say the move turns Greater Manchester into the first city-region outside London to offer capped contactless travel across bus and tram in one payment.

The system works like London's. Oyster: riders tap at the start and end of each journey and the network automatically charges the cheapest valid fare for the day. Daily and weekly caps apply, so regular travellers should pay no more than the current System One multi-modal pass, although exact prices have not yet been published.

Passengers will still need to remember to tap off or risk being charged the maximum possible fare for that line. The readers look the same as before, but the colour of the on-screen tick has changed from green to blue to show the new back-end software is running.

The switch comes while Metrolink engineers prepare a fresh round of weekend closures on parts of the Oldham and Rochdale line. Details of which stops will be shuttered, and when replacement buses will run, are being kept on a dedicated webpage rather than posted at every halt.

Council leaders are also inviting residents to answer an online survey about what else would make the network feel world-class. The questionnaire asks whether people want more evening services, simpler maps or safer stops, but it gives no timeline for when answers will shape spending decisions.