Bus journeys in the North East now cost just £1 for all passengers aged 21 and under – but transport chiefs have admitted that services must become more reliable to make the offer a success.
Young people across Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and County Durham can now get the reduced fare rate on almost all bus services across the region, as well as on the Tyne and Wear Metro and Shields Ferry, in the latest step in a drive to make public transport more affordable. Cheaper prices and multi-modal tickets for adults to allow for seamless travel around the North East are also due to launch later this year.
But after a torrid time for passengers since the onset of the Covid pandemic, since when the bus network has struggled amid delays, cancellations, and cuts to timetables, Gateshead Council leader Martin Gannon says that services must get better to ensure they are a “reasonable alternative” to cars. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “It is fantastic news, of course it is brilliant to have young people under 22 being able to travel for £1.
