Nexus has halved the cost of Metro travel for elderly and disabled passengers – and it’s now even easier to pay thanks to a new tie up with Payzone UK, a leading consumer payments network.
The cost of a Metro Gold Card has been reduced from £25 to £12 from Tuesday 1 April. The price of a Gold Card for non-Tyne and Wear residents is down from £35 to £25.
And Gold Cards are now available to buy from 474 different retail outlets across the region via the Payzone network, as well as from any Metro smart ticket machine, along with a range of other Metro travel products.
The Gold Card is now sold as a smartcard product which is uploaded directly on to a concessionary travel scheme card for older and disabled people (free bus pass) at any outlet displaying a Payzone logo.
Cllr David Wood, Chairman of the Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority, was one of the first to buy a Metro Gold Card at the new price, and to use the new way of paying via Payzone.
Cllr Wood said: “The Gold Card offers the elderly and disabled Metro passengers exceptional value for money, and it’s now even easier to get one uploaded straight on to the free bus pass at any local shop with a Payzone outlet.
“The price reduction means that pensioners and disabled Metro passengers get unlimited off-peak Metro travel and all day at weekends for just £1 a month. What a fantastic deal.”
Metro customers can also buy Metro season tickets using a Pop card by going into any shop with a Payzone terminal, as well as from Metro ticket machines.
This means that for the first time in Metro’s 34 year history, Metro season tickets are being sold at newsagents, convenience stores, supermarkets and off licences.
Payzone is a national network of payment terminals that allow people to pay for a range of services including mobile phone top ups and domestic bills. Payzone’s partners include mobile network operators, utility companies and public transport organisations.
Director of Finance and Resources for Nexus, John Fenwick, said: “Payzone makes it even easier for our customers to pay for their Metro travel and have it uploaded straight on to a smartcard. It’s very simple and convenient.
“All you need is a Pop card and you will be able to buy Metro season tickets at your local shop, newsagent or supermarket. There are 474 outlets across the north east selling Metro travel. It’s an historic development for Nexus in the way that we are able to sell tickets.”
Sales and Marketing Director for Payzone, Mark Mellor, said: “We are delighted to be launching this new service across the North East. The Metro tickets available via Payzone will allow the consumer to purchase their travel on a smartcard with convenience and accessibility from a wide range of retail outlets.
“Payzone are proud to have backed the adoption of smart travel and we have been committed to leading the market by developing a first to market solution that integrates our national retail network with Paragon smart ticketing software from Ecebs, the UK’s leading provider of web, NFC and card enabled smart ticketing. We are excited to see the service grow with new developments to top-up travel cards at Payzone stores planned for later on this year.”
The roll out of Payzone has been made possible by investment in smart travel across the region as a whole led by NESTI, the North East Smart Ticketing Initiative. NESTI is a partnership of 12 local authorities, the Tyne and Wear Integrated Transport Authority and Nexus.
Metro season tickets which are available via Payzone include all annual, Four-week and weekly MetroSavers, Student MetroSavers, 16-18 MetroSavers, and the University of Sunderland MetroSaver.
The Metro ticket is uploaded directly on to a Pop card at any Payzone point.
The move comes as the use of smartcards on the Metro system increases, with 100,000 Pop cards and other smartcards in circulation.
Later this year Payzone outlets will be selling Pay As You Go Metro travel on to Pop cards. Passengers will be able top up their Pop cards with cash at any Payzone point, as and when they need Metro travel.
Metro Gold Cards were introduced by Nexus in 2006 to offer concessionary travel pass holders discounted off-peak travel on the Tyne and Wear Metro for a one off yearly payment.
Find out more about the Metro Gold Card here