Teenagers aged 16 to 18 in Greater Manchester will be able to use free bus travel in the region from September.

A new travel card, Our Pass, will be launched by the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, which he says could save young people and their families more than £500 per year.

Transport for Greater Manchester estimates 26 per cent of the city region's 16-18 population currently use buses as their primary mode of transport.

Mr Burnham said: "I hope that Our Pass will change the lives of young people across Greater Manchester. For too long they have been Westminster's target for cuts and negative publicity. In Greater Manchester we are using devolution to make young people our priority for investment.

"Our Pass is designed to send everyone growing up here a simple message - we believe in you and want you to have high ambitions for where you can go and what you can achieve. This amazing place is yours to explore, to shape and to build for the future."

Sports firm JD is sponsoring the two-year pilot programme which will also offer a range of sport, culture and leisure opportunities such as free tickets for Halle concerts at the Bridgewater Hall.

Applications for Our Pass - which includes a one-off administration fee of £10 - are available from Monday at the website ourpass.co.uk