Contactless payment machines, new lighting, and CCTV will be installed in Tyne and Wear Metro car parks under multi-million pound plans to make them safer and easier for passengers to use.
Council leaders signed off on a £3.2m investment package on Tuesday afternoon that will deliver improvements at six Metro park and ride sites – Bank Foot, Callerton, Regent Centre, Northumberland Park, Four Lane Ends and the Stadium of Light. The upgrades will see outdated coin-only ticket machines replaced by contactless payment, enhanced digital CCTV cameras and more efficient lighting installed, and real-time updates on car park occupancy provided on Nexus’ website and app.
Bosses say they hope the changes will encourage more people to make the switch to public transport for part of their journey and cut down on pollution, especially at a time when fuel prices have skyrocketed. Funding for the scheme was agreed at the North East Joint Transport Committee (JTC) on Tuesday and comes from the government’s Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) programme.
