Adverts in local newspapers today (10th October) give people a clear indication what they would pay under the proposed Quality Contracts Scheme for local buses.
The adverts by Nexus and the Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority also address the misleading claim that council taxes would need to rise to support such a scheme.
Nexus is aware there has been some coverage in the media of statements by opponents to the QCS proposal which Nexus considers are based on misconceptions.
It has taken the unusual step of taking out adverts so people can see the main elements of the fare proposal for themselves and compare them with what they currently pay.
Tobyn Hughes. Deputy Director General of Nexus, said: “We think people will view the indicative fares table alongside the wider benefits the proposal offers.
“Our proposals for a Quality Contracts Scheme represent an opportunity to provide better bus services while saving the taxpayer £70 million over the next 10 years.
“Local people who make 140 million journeys every year will benefit from simple fares, cheaper tickets for young people, universal smartcard travel, a single source for customer services, a greater say in how routes are planned and improvements in journey quality.
“If we don’t take action now to re-invest more of the profit buses make, then widespread cuts are inevitable from 2015, hitting families, bus company staff and the vulnerable in our communities hardest.”