Tyne and Wear Metro ticket prices for young people are set to be slashed next month, just weeks after a major price hike was imposed on some adult tickets.
Councillors will be asked to sign off on plans that would see some fares more than halved for passengers aged 21 and under. Metro operator Nexus is to unveil a “simplified” pricing structure that would mean young people who use a Pop smartcard paying just £1 for a single journey and a maximum of £2.20 for unlimited daily travel around the network.
A single ticket bought using the existing Pop 19-21 card can cost up to £2.30, while the daily cap is £3.40. Should the shift be approved by members of the North East Joint Transport Committee this Thursday, the changes would come into force on May 7.
The significant reduction in prices for young travellers has been announced just after some fare increases of up to 13.9% were imposed last weekend. While all adult passengers using the Pop Pay As You Go card have had their prices frozen for a second year running, the cost of paper single and daysaver tickets has gone up substantially.
The fare hikes have been blamed on the Metro’s huge electricity bills because of high inflation levels, but have angered some passengers at a time when the rail system has suffered from major disruption. Last Saturday’s price increases coincided with critical sections of the Metro network being shut down due to an overhead line collapse at Pelaw, while a signalling failure on Monday morning meant that services in North Tyneside were suspended.
Speaking about the proposed changes for under-22s, Nexus customer service director Huw Lewis said: “It is a significant change. It makes travel for under-19s a little bit cheaper, going down from £1.20 to £1. But with 19- to 21s, not just students but anybody, those with a Pop card now are paying up to £2.30 and that goes down to £1. It more than halves the price of a journey on all all-zone ticket. It is a big deal.”
He added: “Of all the people we hope to encourage to make public transport a permanent part of their lives for the future, as it needs to be if we are going to tackle the climate emergency, let's start with young people. That’s why we have the Take The Kids For Free offer and then this simple £1 offer going forward.”
The new prices are being introduced to coincide with reduced bus fares due to launch across the region under a new Bus Service Improvement Plan partnership between local councils and private operators. Nexus plans to scrap its existing Pop 19-21 card and expand the Pop Blue smartcard to all young people aged 16 to 21.
The Junior Blue smartcard for under-16s, on which single tickets are already charged at £1 with a £1.70 daily cap, will remain at its current rates. The changes proposed on Metro will be mirrored on Shields Ferry and bus services operated by Nexus.
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