Those who are 21 and under can now access single fare bus journeys for just £1. Starting this week young people now have a more affordable way to travel across the region, including almost all bus services covering Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and County Durham.

The new fares are also being matched by Nexus for all Pop card users aged 21 and under on the Tyne and Wear Metro and Shields Ferry. The fares have opened up more opportunities for young residents, making education, leisure facilities and workplaces more accessible, as well as encouraging better social connections with friends and family that may live further afield.

This exciting offer is the first of many to come, including new adult fares and multi modal options that are being developed for later this year. It comes as a result of the region’s Enhanced Partnership (EP) – a formal agreement between bus operators and local authorities which was approved by the North East Joint Transport Committee earlier this year. The partnership has been collaborating tirelessly to bring to fruition these new incentives for local people and it’s a result of all their hard work that they are starting to roll out across the region.

The initiative also follows the publication of the North East Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) in 2021, and the North East’s funding award of £163.5 million, £118m of which was confirmed by the Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper in early March.

Approximately 162 million bus journeys are taken every year across the region, so the reduced fare is expected to be very impactful, particularly for those younger people who are already making those journeys. All fares will be automatically charged as £1 but you may need to show a recognised form of ID to prove your age. Details can be found at www.transportnortheast.gov.uk/getround.

Cllr Martin Gannon, Chair, North East Joint Transport Committee and Leader of Gateshead Council, said: “I’m delighted to announce that the new bus fare for people who are 21 and under is now live. Along with the same offer on Metro, this new fare opens up many new opportunities, helping thousands of young people across the region travel affordably and sustainably for work, education and leisure.

“For many of our residents this could be life-changing, particularly as many people are facing financial challenges at the moment, so anything we can do to help could make a huge difference.

“Not only that, but we’re hoping that the initiative will encourage the use of our public transport network as a greener, cleaner choice of travel, supporting our wider sustainability goals for the region. If we are to do this, we must welcome more people back to our bus network, which we can only do if the bus is an appealing, safe and a genuinely affordable alternative to the car.

“It also aligns nicely with our vision set out in the North East Transport Plan, which sets out our region’s transport aspirations up to 2035, part of which encourages a greater use of our public transport network.”

Ben Maxfield, Chair of NEBus, the local operators association, said: “NEbus is delighted to see the £1 fare for young adults come to fruition. We and the various operators are excited to continue working in partnership with Transport for North East to deliver enhancements to bus services across the region, this is the first exciting step to making a difference for local people.”

This initiative is delivered by funding from the Department of Transport and sits alongside national policy announcements such as the Government’s own separate plan to introduce a £2 adult bus fare cap between January and June 2023.

For more information visit www.transportnortheast.gov.uk/getround.