‘It does my head in’: The Metrolink passengers fined for forgetting to tap out

Date published: 08 June 2023

It’s the simplest way to pay for the tram – as long as you remember to tap out. Contactless card payments have been used on the Metrolink since 2021.

With two simple taps – one at each of the stops you start and end your journey at – fares are automatically calculated and capped depending on where you go and at what time. But if you forget to tap out, you might end up paying more.

In six months alone, Metrolink passengers have been caught out nearly half a million times, according to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). In a response to a Freedom of Information request, the organisation revealed that from October 2022 to March 2023, there were 469,370 incomplete journeys, costing passengers £4.60 each time – even if they have reached the daily cap.

That means almost 8% of all contactless journeys – which make up nearly a third of all tram trips in total – are incomplete journeys. The figures have led some Metrolink passengers to question whether the system is fit for purpose.

Abbey Robinson ‘always’ forgets to tap out. “It does my head in,” she says. “I think it would be better if it was like in London where you have a barrier.”

As she hops on her tram to New Islington, Chris Singleton from Bowker Vale arrives at St Peter’s Square saying that his bank card is ‘not working’. He tried to tap in at Besses o’ th’ Barn but the machine did not accept his card, he says.

“I always tap in and tap out,” he says. “It’s quick – but it’s quicker if it works.”

Other passengers waiting at St Peter’s Square on the sunny Monday (5 June) afternoon are more positive about this way of paying. Yvonne, who travels into town from Shaw a few times a week for work, believes the system is ‘brilliant’.

She started paying by contactless card because the ticket machines would sometimes not work. “I’m very happy using it,” she says. “It’s perfect for me.”

Louise Barne, who travels by tram from Derker once or twice a fortnight, says she prefers tapping in and out rather than having to ‘faff about’ by buying a ticket. “In the morning when I’m last minute, it can be a bit of a panic,” she says.

Kane, who mostly uses the Metrolink to get to the gym, says contactless payments are quicker.

Meanwhile, Lisa Khan buys a monthly pass online.

This means that, not only does she save money, but she does not need to remember to tap out every time. She sympathises with those who forget.

“When I have done the tap in and tap out,” she says, “it is hard to remember.”

Maria Butool says she never forgets. Tapping in and out means she does not have to queue up at the ticket machine and can hop on her tram when it arrives.

But she says charging people who forget to tap out is not fair. Mark Anthony from Clayton, who uses his phone for contactless payments, does not agree.

He once faced a £50 fine for forgetting to tap in, he says. “Now I don’t forget.”

Passengers who forget to touch-in before your journey, could be charged the contactless standard fare of £45. Those who forget to touch-out – or use different cards each time – are charged the incomplete journey fare of £4.60.

This means that even though the daily cap for travel in all zones is £7.10, or £4.90 during off-peak hours, Metrolink passengers could end up paying more if they forget to tap out. The weekly cap for tram travel across all zones is £31.

TfGM says the number of incomplete journeys as a percentage of trips paid with contactless cards or devices has fallen from 10.2% in 2021 when it was introduced to 7.6% in the first five months of this year.

The organisation says it recognises that customers will occasionally forget to touch-out and will look to amend charges or issue refunds if it is clear that a mistake has been made.

A TfGM spokesperson said: “Contactless continues to provide the most convenient and flexible way of paying for Metrolink travel, and since launching in 2019 it has now become the most popular way of paying for journeys.

“With the introduction of capped fares, customers no longer need to work out the total fares for their journeys and will never pay more than the daily cap when touching-in at the start and touching-out at the end of each journey, making contactless travel on Metrolink even more accessible.

“We are continuously reminding customers to touch out and are working to improve customer information on stops, as well as putting out education campaigns to remind people to use the same device when touching in and out.

“We have always been transparent about the conditions of travel on Metrolink, including the use of contactless, as well as the consequences of travelling without a valid ticket or not touching in or out at either end of journeys.

“The terms of conditions for using contactless are readily available on the TfGM website, and anyone who has any questions concerning contactless travel can contact our Customer Relations team.”

Joseph Timan, Local Democracy Reporting Service