Remember your igo when you go back to school

A igo public transport travel pass

Parents are being reminded not to forget their child’s igo pass for when the new school year starts next month.

Mandatory since April this year, the igo is a new look photo ID travel pass that secondary school pupils aged 11 to 16 need to show in order to travel for the concessionary fare on Greater Manchester’s buses.

Transport for Greater Manchester introduced the new pass last year and it became compulsory in May. Without it, pupils face being charged a higher fare on the bus.

Michael Renshaw, TfGM’s Bus and Rail Director, said: “We know just how busy this time of year can be for parents as they get everything ready for the start of the new school year – there’s a lot to think about.

“That’s why we’ve created a new ‘back to school’ section on our website – www.tfgm.com – to give parents advice on planning their child’s school trip. It’s full of useful information, so I’d encourage parents to take a look.

“One thing that parents definitely need to tick off their list if their child is going to be using the bus to get to school is their igo pass. It can take up to 10 working days to supply the card once we’ve received an application, so it’s important to send off for it soon.

“Remember: if your child is aged 11 to 16 and doesn’t have an igo pass when the new term starts, they could end up paying a higher fare on the bus because they won’t be able to claim the local concessionary fare without it.”

Applications forms are available online at www.tfgm.com/igo. They can also be picked up from Travelshops at main bus stations in Greater Manchester.

Each igo pass costs £5 and will be valid from the date of issue until 31 August after the holder’s 16th birthday