Go North East

[venturego]

Lord Adonis Report or the region
Extract from Lord Adonis "More & Betteer Jobs" report regarding Transport:

BUSES AND METRO
The bus and metro network is vital for connecting people to jobs, and delivering accessibility
to the area’s town and city centres, and other major employment sites. The network must be
stable, and marketed as a single network with straightforward fares and clear
information.
SINGLE NETWORK SMARTCARD
It is recommended that the immediate priority, which needs to be agreed by mid-2013, is the
joint commitment of the bus operators association, Nexus and the LA7 to promote a Single
Network Smartcard (with multi-operator ticketing) as the core ticket brand for season
tickets in the North East. All parties in the LEP area should enthusiastically participate in the
DfT’s new nationwide drive to get wider roll-out of multi-operator smartcard ticketing. This
should be accompanied by discounted ticket products for job seekers and those
accessing training, to assist in helping to get people into work.
The area’s bus users would also benefit from a smartcard-based “pay-as-you-go with
daily maximum fare” facility for both bus plus metro and bus only, valid across all operators.
This should be as convenient as or better than London’s Oyster. It must have
a competitively-priced maximum daily fare – with a recommended fare of around £4,
which is comparable to other all-operator daily maximum fares available elsewhere in England.
All parties need to recognise the urgency of making the area’s bus and metro network work
better at connecting people to jobs, and therefore a stretching target of Autumn 2014 for
multi-operator pay-as-you-go to be introduced is recommended.
The possibilities of next generation payment technology are attractive, and it is
recommended that partners look into the options for making this ticket available on standard
bank debit or credit card, and possibly smartphone, as well as on smartcard, in the future.
The opportunities for using a single network smartcard for other transport services, such
as car parking charges, electric vehicle charging, car clubs or cycle hire could also be
investigated.
If a voluntary agreement between Nexus, the LA7 and the bus operators for the roll out of a
competitively-priced pay as you go smartcard within 18 months cannot be reached by mid-
2013, it is recommended this should then be a primary driver towards taking steps to introduce
a bus quality contract scheme.