From next Monday, 2nd January, Nexus, the operator of the Tyne and Wear Metro, is offering customers the chance to save money by using its free Pop Pay As You Go smartcard or through Google Pay on Android smartphones.

Customers using PAYG will have their fares capped at £2 for single journeys and a maximum of £4 for a day’s travel. The fare cap is being introduced to help people with the cost of living and to match an equivalent offer on the local bus network. The Government has confirmed that between January and March 2023 all bus journeys in England would be capped at £2.

An all-zone single ticket currently costs £3.25 on Pop, so with the £2 cap adults will save 38% on a single journey through their Pop smartcards. All-zone travel currently costs £4.85, so that will see an 85p saving.

The £2 cap will also apply to young people with a Pop 19-21 card and to bus services that are contracted by Nexus.

Anyone buying paper tickets from Metro ticket machines will not benefit from the savings, as Nexus said that its offer was only being made on Pop. Buying tickets through the all is already cheaper than paper tickets, and the offer is being made to encourage more people to use the app and to cut down the cost of printing tickets.

The Pop Pay As You go app is free and readily available online at www.buyandapply.nexus.org.uk

Customer Services Director at Nexus, Huw Lewis, said: “If you don’t want to pay more for Metro travel in 2023 then it’s really easy – switch to Pop Pay As You Go, or get the Google Pay option if you’re on an Android smartphone.

“We strongly encourage customers to think about making the switch to ensure that they take advantage of the biggest savings we have on offer.

“From January 2 all single journeys on pay as you go will be capped £2, and all-day travel will be capped at £4.

“All you need to do is download the Google Pay app or apply for a Pop card on the Nexus website to enjoy the benefits of the fare cap.”