Commuters prepared to travel before 7.30am will soon be able to get a single Metrolink ticket for just a £1.

The pilot scheme was announced by the Mayor Andy Burnham today in the hope it will ease Manchester's crippling congestion by encouraging people to leave their cars at home.

The 'Early Bird' fare will offer cut price travel for those who want to avoid the morning rush hour and the 'Early Bird Plus' is aimed at those working or socialising in the evening.

Mr Burnham said: "Congestion is a major problem that is affecting people’s lives on a daily basis.

"Additional trams and tram lines, improved cycling and walking infrastructure and the Manchester and Salford Inner Relief Route works will all help in the long run, but they will take time to bear fruit.

"The Early Bird is one of a range of measures being introduced to help improve things here and now and in advance of the busy festive period, making it easier for people to re-time their journey and avoid the traffic by trying the tram.

"I also hope it will help boost our local economy in the lead up to Christmas by encouraging people to go and sample the many great things accessible by Metrolink that our city region has to offer."

Here's everything you need to know about the 'Early Bird scheme':

1. It is only available on the 'Get me there app'

'Early Bird' tickets cannot be purchased as paper tickets at Metrolink machines.

Instead, you will have to download TfGM's app 'Get me there' which is available for free from Android and App stores.

2. There are two types of 'Early Bird' ticket

The 'Early Bird' travelcard costs £1 for unlimited travel on the Metrolink network before 7.30am.

There is also an 'Early Bird Plus' travelcard which costs £3 for unlimited travel on the Metrolink network before 7.30am, from 1pm to 3.30pm and after 7pm until the last tram.

However, it must also be purchased before 7am.

So for example, if you are working late in the evening you will have to get up early to buy the ticket on the app and then use it later.

The travelcards will be available each day from around 3am when the first trams start going to the Airport.

3. You must complete your journey by 7.30am or 3.30pm

Stay with us, this is where it gets a little bit complicated.

After 7.30am, and after 3.30pm if you bought the 'Early Bird Plus', your ticket will essentially disappear from the app.

This means you must have completed your journey before those times or you do not have a valid ticket.

So if an inspector gets on the tram, you could be fined the standard fare.

It is understood inspectors can use their discretion and there will be a 'grace period' of five or ten minutes after those times, especially if there has been delays on the network.

If you've bought the 'Early Bird Plus', the ticket will 'reappear' in the app again at 7pm.

But essentially this means commuters will need to make a rough calculation of how long their journey will take.

So for example, if you are travelling from the city centre back to East Didsbury it wouldn't be a good idea to set off at 3.20pm because by the time you get home your ticket will have 'disappeared' from the app.

4. When does it start?

The Mayor announced the 'pre peak' scheme this morning but did not say when it will start.

However, the Manchester Evening News understands the plan is to launch next Monday, pending successful testing of the app this week.

It is expected this will be confirmed by TfGM today.

5. Is it here to stay?

At the moment, the 'Early Bird' is a pilot scheme aimed at easing congestion, boosting the nighttime economy and helping part-time shift workers in the run-up to Christmas.

TfGM says data and analysis of the early bird ticket offer will be used to help inform a possible longer-term ‘pre-peak’ ticket offer.

A recent study carried out by traffic data company INRIX found Manchester is the second most congested city in the country - and 19th in Europe.

Too many people travel at the same time; too many people take short journeys by car; roadworks slow things down too often; traffic lights are often poorly timed; and people have no realistic alternatives to driving - an online survey suggested.

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Transport for Greater Manchester chiefs say that 75 per cent of car and van journeys in the morning peak carry just one person and almost a third of all journeys less than 1km are made by car.

Every second, 60 car journeys start in Greater Manchester between 8am and 9am - and the region’s busiest roads are twice as busy during peak periods.

The 'pre peak' Metrolink scheme is part of the Mayor's 'Congestion Deal' which also includes ordering 27 more trams and major investment in cycling and walking infrastructure, 'high occupancy vehicle' lanes and a £400m programme of schemes to upgrade the region's roads.

To learn more about the Early Bird ticket visit tfgm.com/earlybird

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