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Nexus today reported a big surge in applications for its Under 16 Card – as parents and children make sure they can enjoy cheaper public transport. In the last three weeks Nexus has processed more than 3,000 applications for the free card – four times the normal level. The Nexus Under 16 Card lets children and young people buy the cheapest Child Concessionary tickets on bus and Metro in Tyne and Wear. Since September 1 Nexus has capped the cost of travel for young people on bus and Metro by subsidising the new £1 Child Allday Ticket - or ‘Cat’ - available seven days a week. Andy Bairstow, Nexus Communications Director, said: “We have seen the number of people who want free Under 16 Cards quadruple as parents and young people recognise how useful it is. “The Under 16 Card unlocks the door to the cheapest tickets – if you have one then £1 a day is the most you need pay to travel anywhere in Tyne and Wear. “The rush in applications shows the message has got out there about cheaper child fares – and the fact you need an Under 16 Card to claim them. If your children don’t have a card, I urge you to get them one.” Any child resident in Tyne and Wear and aged 15 or under on August 31 2008 can apply for a Nexus Under 16 Card. Application forms are available from Nexus Travelshops or can be printed from here. While Nexus expects an increase in demand for Under 16 Cards around the start of the school term this year’s rush is unprecedented. Despite this it is still turning round new applications within five working days. A Nexus concessionary fare is only available with an Under 16 Card, otherwise an operator can charge a commercial child fare – which is more expensive – or may not accept an older teenager is under 16 and charge an adult fare. Single concessionary fares are capped at 50p from September 1, 30p less than some current commercial fares, while the ‘Cat’ ticket allows all day travel for £1 across bus and Metro. Around 65,000 young people in Tyne and Wear now hold a Nexus Under 16 Card, making about eight million journeys a year. Nexus believe up to 95,000 more children do not have an Under 16 Card, and risk missing out on the benefits of cheaper concessionary travel.
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