More than 1,000 young people are now benefitting from a 30% discount on the Tyne and Wear Metro – less than a month since the new Pop 19-21 card was introduced to give them discounted travel on the network.
In the first four weeks the card was available 1178 Pop 19-21 cards have been issued. The 30% discount offered provided means a reduction in an all zone daily ticket on a normal adult pay as you go card from £4.85 to £3.40. Although the card itself is free, it must be purchased with a £10 balance.
Huw Lewis, Customer Services Director at Nexus, said: “We are seeing young people take over 500 journeys a day using Pop 19-21, which is great for them and great for us, as we welcome more customers back after the pandemic. Young people told us they wanted greater value and flexibility with travel tickets, and Pop 19-21 gives them exactly that.
“We want young people to grow up with Metro as the clean, green way to travel for the rest of their lives and we have made it cheap and easy to do that. We’re proud to be able to offer free travel or great value smart card discounts on Metro from birth into your twenties. Children travel free with an adult until they are 11, young people pay no more than £1 until they are 18, and now benefit from a new 30% discount right up to age 21.”