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A pioneering scheme which offers free bus and Metro travel to young people who have recently left local authority care has been rolled out in South Tyneside following a successful pilot.

The scheme, the first of its kind in the country, will help 209 care leavers aged 18 to 25 across South Tyneside. It is being funded by the region's Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) which is delivering major investments in the bus network on behalf of the North East Joint Transport Committee.

Recipients will get a Pop smart card with an annual Network One season ticket, providing a year's free travel across all local public transport in Tyne and Wear, to help give them the best start to adult life.

The pilot scheme started in October 2022, helping 300 care leavers in Newcastle and Gateshead make 1,200 bus journeys and 200 Metro journeys.

And it has proved a success, prompting council leaders to roll it out more widely to help care leavers in more local areas.

Cllr Martin Gannon, Chair of the North East Joint Transport Committee and Leader of Gateshead Council, said: "The care leavers travel scheme is a real success story and following a successful pilot we are delighted to be able to roll it out to more areas using our Bus Service Improvement Plan funding.

"We cannot overstate the difference that free transport will make to care experienced young people in our area, who are juggling the challenges of learning to live independently with the rising cost of living.

"This scheme will make it easier for them to access learning, training and work opportunities, and most importantly will help them to develop the skills to live full, thriving and independent lives as adults."

Councillor Tracey Dixon, Leader of Â鶹ÊÓƵ, said: "This is a fantastic addition to the wide-ranging support we already offer our care leavers in South Tyneside. 

"Our children in care and care leavers already enjoy free access to the Council's leisure facilities as well as support accessing apprenticeships. 

"Our young people leaving care also do not have to pay Council Tax until the age of 25 and last year we made being care experienced a protected characteristic. 

"We know that young people leaving care can struggle both socially and financially so all these measures combined are aimed at supporting them as they make their transition towards adulthood."

Roads Minister Richard Holden MP said:"This new scheme will help unlock opportunities for young care leavers across South Tyneside, by giving them access to free public transport and supporting them with the cost of living.

"We want everyone up and down the country to have a modern, reliable, and affordable public transport system. That is why we are providing Transport North East, on behalf of the North East Joint Transport Committee, with more than £163 million to boost its bus services."

Steve Walker, Managing Director, Stagecoach Northeast said; "As public transport operators alongside our authority colleagues we are pleased to be supporting this project via the multi modal ticket offering so these young people can get to work, education leisure and other opportunities without having the additional worries of cost at this time."