Over two million extra Tyne and Wear Metro journeys have been generated through Pop Pay As You Go according to new figures released by Nexus. With discounted single and day Metro fares available using Pop it is increasing in popularity with over 100,000 customers now having signed up generating 2.2 million trips this year.
With Pay As You Go providing convenience – and also with the Take The Kids For Free price promise and £1 flat fare for all aged up to 22 in place – Metro has been able to record the fastest recovery from the pandemic of any urban rail network.
Pop PAYG prices have now been frozen since 2021 (costing between £1.65 and £4.85) which allows travellers on the network to save more than £1 a day compared to buying a ticket from a machine.
A new online and on-system marketing campaign has been launched to encourage even more Metro users to make the switch to Pay As You Go. This will raise awareness of the range of smartcard tickets and the savings people could be making by switching. More details at http://www.nexus.org.uk/pop.
Huw Lewis, Nexus Customer Services Director, said: “Pop Pay As You Go continues to go from strength to strength, with over 100,000 customers generating an extra two million Metro journeys this year. We have seen just over 14,000 new customers switch to Pop since March, all recognising how much easier and cheaper it makes travelling on Metro.
“Moving to Pop Pay As You Go in Google Pay, or getting a free Pop card from nexus.org.uk, which now has a minimum top of just £5, means you can save a pound per day, compared to paying for travel from a Metro ticket machine.
“We recommend that customers make the switch even if you travel only once a week or less – either by applying for Pop card by applying for one online from the Nexus website or through Google Pay if you have an Android smartphone. We hope to bring PAYG to other smartphone operating systems in the future.”