All bus services operated by First Manchester in Oldham will end this week as the service changes hands to the Bee Network.

The depot on Wallshaw Street will transfer to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) with Bee Network services, operated by Stagecoach, as of Sunday, March 24, this week.

Ahead of the transition, First Bus is encouraging passengers to keep updated on its website and has issued advice about how to purchase tickets and refunds.

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To avoid any confusion, certain tickets have been removed from sale, including yearly tickets and monthly tickets (which ended on February 23).

Passengers who have bought yearly or monthly tickets can claim a refund from First Bus, which will be calculated on the number of days, weeks or months remaining on the ticket.

However, weekly tickets that extend beyond Sunday, March 24, are non-refundable.

As of Sunday, March 17, other bus tickets were removed from sale though the company has assured anyone who has purchased a First Manchester ticket up until 11.59pm this Sunday will be valid for travel.

The change comes as Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham announced lower fares and an exile of First Bus services in a major shakeup to public transport across the region last summer.

The changes mean Stagecoach and Diamond will be running almost all local services as part of the unified Bee Network bus scheme, though First Bus will still run some services in Rochdale.

The Mayor also promised the bus fare cap, which caps tickets to £2 and a day ticket to £5, will be extended until September this year.

A 20 per cent cheaper 'Bee AnyBus + Tram' ticket will also be rolled out for public transport users as of September this year, allowing ticketholders to use buses and trams under one ticket price.

By January next year, it is also hoped passengers will be able to tap-in and tap-out when using buses and trams without having to decide on a ticket in advance, similar to London's transport system.

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