Public Transport Victoria

Public Transport Victoria

File:Public Transport Victoria Logo.png
Company type	Statutory authority
Industry	Public transport
Founded	April 2, 2012
Headquarters	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Area served	Victoria
Website	www.ptv.vic.gov.au

Public Transport Victoria (stylised as PT^>) is the statutory authority responsible for promoting, providing, coordinating and regulating public transport in the State of Victoria, Australia. The agency was created by legislation passed by the Victorian Parliament in November 2011, and on 2 April 2012 PTV formally commenced its activities, including taking over the marketing of public transport in Melbourne from Metlink.

The PTV has subsumed the public transport responsibilities formerly exercised by the Director of Public Transport, the Transport Ticketing Authority, and a number of other bodies.

Legislation and governance

The corporate entity which encompasses PTV (a trading name) is the Public Transport Development Authority or PTDA. The PTDA was established by the Transport Legislation Amendment (Public Transport Development Authority) Act 2011 which positioned the agency under the State's primary transport statute, the Transport Integration Act. This provides that the "...primary object of the Public Transport Development Authority is to plan, coordinate, provide, operate and maintain a safe, punctual, reliable and clean public transport system....".

Key functions

The Minister for Public Transport, the Hon Terry Mulder MLA, observed in introducing the legislation that -

"The PTDA will focus on the basics of a good public transport system. It will be responsible and accountable for achieving significant improvement in the reliability, efficiency and integration of public transport services across the state. In a key change of focus, the new authority will put passengers first.

It will operate as the face of public transport, providing a single shopfront for passengers and stakeholders.

No longer will Victorians have to endure the confusion, the blame shifting and the frustration that characterised the state's troubled public transport system over the previous decade."

The most prominent responsibilities of PTV concern the contracting of transport operators to provide train, tram and bus services in Melbourne and Victoria. Accordingly, the agency procures these services through operators and entering into and managing franchise contracts. The key franchise contracts entered into by PTV relate to -

• Trains in Melbourne (contract with Metro Trains Melbourne)- these services covered the provision of suburban rail services in Melbourne
• Trams in Melbourne (with KDR Melbourne) - these services covered the provision of suburban tram and light rail services in Melbourne
• Trains in regional Victoria (with V/Line Corporation) - these services covered the provision of train services in country and regional Victoria
• Bus services in Melbourne and wider Victoria including school bus services (with a wide variety of bus operators)

Train and tram services in Victoria are governed by complex statutory, Government and commercial relationships.

VicTrack is the custodian of all rail infrastructure and assets in Victoria. VicTrack leased these infrastructure and assets to PTV through the Metropolitan Infrastructure Head Lease. PTV then sub-leases the assets to the metropolitan train and tram operators through the Infrastructure Leases. PTV manages the rights and obligations contained in these leases on behalf of the State. PTV also enters into franchise agreements with the metropolitan train and tram operators that govern the provision of public transport passenger services. The franchise agreements specify a range of operational and service requirements administered and managed by PTV.

In relation to regional train services operated by V/Line Corporation, similar arrangements are entered into with VicTrack and PTV. VicTrack leases the regional train infrastructure and assets to PTV who then sub leases these assets to V/Line Corporation under the Regional Infrastructure Lease. Similarly, PTV and V/Line Corporation have entered into a franchise agreement which governs the operational and service requirements for regional train services.

Key people

The inaugural chief executive of PTV is Ian Dobbs, who ran the Victorian Public Transport Corporation from 1993 to 1998.

Key people

The inaugural chief executive of PTV is Ian Dobbs, who ran the Victorian Public Transport Corporation from 1993 to 1998, and who prior to that date had worked for British Rail since 1977. During 1999-2005 Dobbs continued in railway management, engaged by financial institutions to turn around poorly performing railways around the Pacific Rim. From 2005 in the UK, until his return to Australia on 5 September 2011, he became Chief Executive of Stagecoach Group rail and light rail services divisions and Director of ATOC (Association of Train Operating Companies) and a member of the National Task Force for Rail in the UK.

See also

• Rail transport in Victoria
• Railways in Melbourne
• Trams in Melbourne
• Buses in Melbourne
• Transport Integration Act
• Director of Public Transport
• Department of Transport

External links

• Official PTV website