Transport operator Nexus are optimistic about finally enabling digital tickets for iPhones after enduring years of challenges.

The Tyne and Wear Metro has been urged to provide a smooth transition for those who use Apple Devices. Currently, they cannot save Metro tickets onto their devices.

In 2020, a Pop card app was launched for Android devices, allowing customers to purchase and store tickets, but it has yet to be made available for iPhone users.

Nexus, the Metro operator, aims to be an “early adopter” when Apple introduces the necessary technology to its devices in the UK.

At present, iPhone users must obtain a physical Pop card to access cheaper fares compared to paper tickets purchased from station machines.

This week, Conservative and Labour councillors in North Tyneside urged Nexus to address this issue. Councillor Ian McAlpine, representing the Conservatives, criticized the Metro’s payment system, stating it “needs further improvement to align with the modern experiences found in cities like London and Manchester.”

The council unanimously passed a motion highlighting that as more people rely on digital wallets, the absence of iPhone access forces some to pay “excessively.”

Nexus previously noted that the technology required to store a Pop card was only compatible with Google Pay and not with Apple Wallet.

However, on Friday, the Local Democracy Reporting Service learned that Apple plans to introduce this technology to its UK devices.

David Bartlett, head of smart ticketing at Nexus, confirmed the organization’s commitment to implementing this feature.

“Apple has expressed its intention to bring that functionality to the UK. We hope to be an early adopter of this technology when it becomes available,” he stated.

He also mentioned that new smartcard readers for the network’s gates and validators would be needed, with plans to install them in the first half of the upcoming year.