Metro ticket prices set to rise by up to 13.9%

The Metro system has been hit by financial difficulties since the beginning of the pandemic

Ticket prices on the Tyne and Wear Metro could rise by up to 13.9% as the transport network looks to "meet the challenge" of higher running costs.

If approved by councillors next week, the new prices for paper tickets would come into force in April.

Operator Nexus said the higher fares would generate about £1.2m annually.

However, it is once again set to freeze the cost of Pop, its pay-as-you-go smartcard which is also available to buy digitally on Android phones.

The proposals would see the price of a paper ticket single journey across three zones rise from £3.90 to £4.30 and a day ticket go from £5.70 to £6.20.

A four-week ticket would rise from £81.30 to £90.20, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The new rates would come into force on 1 April, the day after a temporary fare cap of £2 for single journeys and £4 for all-day travel, which is also only available on Pop cards, comes to an end.

'Rising cost of living'

Nexus customer services director Huw Lewis said that the changes were needed to "help us meet the challenge we face with higher Metro running costs".

"Metro is a public service that doesn't make a profit, so we require government support alongside the revenue that we get from fares, all of which goes back into keeping the network running," he said.

"This is the second year running that we have frozen the price of our pay-as-you-go product in order to help our customers as much as we can with the rising cost of living.

"One in five Metro customers are now using Pop Pay As You Go and we will continue to encourage more people to go smart and enjoy the lowest fares that we have."

The cards would see a single journey be about £1 cheaper than with a paper ticket and £1.35 less for a day-saver pass.

The proposals will be put to members of the North East Joint Transport Committee next Thursday.