A new ticket launched across the North East means that young people aged 21 and under have access to unlimited travel across the region for just £3

Youngsters in Tyne and Wear, Northumberland and Durham can now travel all day by bus, Tyne and Wear Metro and the Shields Ferry for just £3 - after a new fare was launched, funded by the region’s Bus Service Improvement Plan.

The new fare builds on the success of the £1 single fare for all regional bus journeys which launched back in May.

It is hoped the new fares will make it much cheaper and easier for young people across the North East to access training and education opportunities as well as get to/from work and leisure destinations.

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The £3 day ticket will also be available to purchase on Metro ticket machines.

With over 3 million tickets sold since the £1 initiative started, the fares have been popular with young residents across the region, and it is hoped the £3 ticket will be embraced as vigorously. 

Michael Thompson, School Chaplain, St Thomas More Catholic High School & Sixth Form, said: "The £1 bus fare has had a massive impact on our Sixth Form students at St Thomas More Catholic High School in North Shields.

"Students are able to travel more freely and can go further distances to get them to college, part-time jobs and extracurricular activities.

"Before the introduction, students were having to choose between these things, and now young people can do them all and still have money in their pockets to afford more food at lunch time or buying further equipment for their studies.

“With a £3 unlimited day ticket, this will mean even more of a help for the poorest families in our community, making sure that no matter who is travelling, everybody has the same opportunity to get to the places that matter to them."

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Cllr Martin Gannon, Chair, North East Joint Transport Committee, said: “I’m delighted that the Joint Transport Committee is able to launch another great deal for young people aged 21 and under, with a new £3 fare offering unlimited bus, Metro and Shields Ferry travel across the whole of the North East.

"The existing £1 single fares are already making public transport more affordable for thousands of young people across the region – more than 3 million journeys have taken place so far – and this unlimited £3 day ticket is the icing on the cake. 

This expansive offer 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.

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The partnership has been collaborating to bring new affordable incentives for local people to use public transport, alongside a range of other improvements including adult day tickets coming soon.

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.

This initiative is delivered by BSIP funding awarded to the North East by the Department of Transport and sits alongside national policy announcements such as the Government’s own £2 adult single bus fare.