Thousands more Metro customers are now saving money with Pop Pay As You Go, with one in three adult single and day journeys now made on smart cards or Google Pay.
Nexus, the public body which runs Metro, cut prices at the start of January to offer a £2 maximum single fare for customers using Pop Pay As You Go.
The offer runs until the end of March – after which Nexus has promised that single and day fares will be frozen at 2021 prices for the rest of this year.
And customers have been quick to respond to the offer of cheaper travel, with the proportion of journeys made with Pop rising from 12% this time last year to 33% of all single and day journeys on week days this week.
Huw Lewis, Customer Services Director at Nexus, said: “Moving to Pop Pay As You Go in Google Pay, or getting a free Pop card from nexus.org.uk means you can save money on Metro travel with our £2 maximum fare offer running until March.
“We have seen almost 2,000 new customers switch to Pop since the start of January, and if they all travel just twice a week then up to two million journeys on Metro just got cheaper.
“We hope, of course, that by making it easier and cheaper to travel with smart tickets we encourage customers to make more journeys by sustainable public transport.”
Nexus figures show the middle of the week – Tuesday to Thursday – show the highest number of Pop journeys, suggesting a strong take-up from commuters.
The proportion of journeys drops below 20% at weekends, but Nexus is encouraging people to consider getting a Pop card or Pop on Google Pay however much they use Metro.
Mr Lewis added: “Pop is the best product to travel on Metro. We recommend that customers make the switch even if they travel only once a week or less – either by getting a free Pop card by applying for one online from the Nexus website or through Google Pay if you have an Android smartphone.
“When the current £2 maximum fare offer ends in March Pop prices will return to the same level they have been frozen at since 2021, between £1.65 and £3.25, so customers can still save more than £1 a day compared to getting a ticket from a machine.”
Full details on how to find Pop on Google Pay – or get a free Pop card – can be found at www.nexus.org.uk/save
Metro became the first rail system outside London to offer the convenience of pay as you go smart travel on the iconic Pop card when it was launched in November 2015.
Pop cards can also be used to make payments bus routes in North East England as well as on the Shields Ferry.
Photo credit: Nexus
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