The Greater Manchester area will soon be operating a card-based system for travel on the bus, tram and train systems.The long-proposed scheme, which will be Manchester’s very own version of London’s successful Oyster card system, is set to become reality as the council has secured a £32.5 million grant from the government to implement the plans.The cards will initially be created for use on the Metrolink tram network, which, with recent and ongoing plans for extensions to the existing lines, could simplify travel across the Greater Manchester area. Currently, users either have to buy season tickets or purchase single use tickets from machines at tram stations prior to travel. With the new cards, passengers could pre-load their cards with credit for use on all routes around the city.This would bring an end to carrying small change and queuing to buy tickets and could be in place by late 2013. Eventually…