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Oldham commuters can now tap a bank card, phone or watch to ride any Bee Network bus or tram without buying a ticket first. The change, quietly switched on across Greater Manchester, means passengers no longer queue at machines or worry about the right change.

The readers calculate the cheapest daily cap automatically, so occasional users avoid the old system of guessing whether a day ticket was worth it. Transport bosses say the move is the first step toward turning the region's fragmented services into one joined-up network under the Bee banner.

While the tap-and-go kit settles in, separate Metrolink engineering blocks are being lined up. Exact dates and affected stretches have not yet been released; the operator is asking riders to check a dedicated webpage before they travel.

A public consultation on wider Bee Network plans is open now, though the document gives no closing date. Meanwhile, recruiters are touring depots to fill bus and tram driver posts, promising local jobs tied to the expansion.