Labour urged to rule out new year Metro ticket price hikes to fund Gateshead flyover repairs

Councillors want a guarantee that Metro passengers in Sunderland won’t be forced to foot the bill for Gateshead flyover repair and replacement.

Councillors in Sunderland are calling on the North East Mayor to rule out Metro ticket price hikes in the new year.

Opposition Lib Dems on Wearside argue that passengers and commuters shouldn’t be footing the bill through higher ticket prices for the failure of the Mayor and council bosses over the Gateshead flyover.

Councillors also argue that ticket price increases cannot be justified until all new Metro trains enter service.

Commenting, Councillor Heather Fagan - Deputy Leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats on Sunderland Council - said:

“Metro passengers in Sunderland shouldn’t be forced to foot the bill for decades of incompetence and failure by Labour council bosses on Tyneside which has resulted in this Gateshead flyover fiasco - especially on top of the failure to make sure new reliable trains enter regular service.

“Gateshead Council and the Mayor have let the flyover deteriorate until things reached crisis point. They have failed to plan for this inevitability and have failed to secure a Government bailout from the Transport Secretary.

“The Mayor cannot be allowed to pass the burden onto hard-pressed Metro passengers on Wearside who have had to put up with an abysmal service this year, culminating in no connection at all to Newcastle due to this flyover fiasco.

“Enough is enough. The Mayor must now rule out Metro ticket price hikes in the new year.”