How much will it cost you?

Nexus has confirmed the new fares will come into effect from Wednesday, January 2 after being agreed by councillors.

Metro bosses have defended the price increases and pointed to other offers, such as the cost of the Pop Pay As You Go smartcard being frozen, - offering customers a 40p saving on the cost of a single Metro journey, and a saving of 50p on the cost of a day ticket.

Nexus said students and customers who use Pop Pay As You Go cards will be paying the same price for their travel in 2019 as they were in 2012.

In addition, the Metro Gold Card, which gives pensioners and people with disabilities, unlimited off-peak Metro travel for £12 a year is to be frozen in price.

Managing Director of Nexus, Tobyn Hughes, said: "We are introducing a balanced package of Metro fares in 2019, one which helps us to deliver some savings for customers while also meeting Metro’s running costs.

"Anyone who switches to a Pay As You Go Pop card will not see the cost of their Metro travel go up next year.

"Other fares will go up in line with the rate of inflation. Metro is a public service that doesn’t make a profit and gets a Government subsidy to keep it running. We need to raise some fares so that we can continue to meet our operational costs.

"Metro fares will remain some of the lowest in the country, and still offer excellent value for money."

Nexus said Pop blue, the smartcard that was introduced this year which offers young people aged 18 and under Metro travel for £1, is also being frozen in price.

The 2019 Metro and Shields Ferry fare proposals were agreed by a Joint Transport Committee (Tyne and Wear Sub-committee) today.