03.11.15
North east ticketing drive brings smartcards to Tyne and Wear Metro
Tyne and Wear Metro has brought smart ticketing to the north east through a new ‘pay as you go’ card, the first outside London to offer a daily price cap on rail travel.
The system is also the first outside the capital to offer a single multi-operator smart card as a result of joint investment by the government, Metro and bus operators in the region.
Passengers can top up the card before travelling, run a short-term negative balance if they run out of money on their last journey and benefit from automatic best fare guarantees.
The card also provides daily price caps to ensure no-one is charged more than they would be for an equivalent all-day or similar ticket.
Transport minister Andrew Jones said: “The ‘Pop pay as you go’ card is a great initiative that will ensure passengers across the north east can enjoy seamless journeys and save money on their local bus and Metro services.
“Congratulations to the Nexus team for launching the first capped pay as you go ticketing outside London.”
He added that the government is determined to invest in smarter ticketing, with £2.2m being sent to the north east for that sole purpose.
The north east smart ticketing initiative also benefits from partnerships between local authorities, transport operators and Nexus, all of whom are helping spread the card from the Tees Valley to the Scottish border.
Cllr Nick Forbes, lead member for transport on the North East Combined Authority, said: “Nowhere other than London and the north east currently have this system and many are watching with interest.
“I hope that before too long we can create a wider network of joined-up journeys and ticketing as part of our Transport for the North plans.”