The Director of Public Transport (also referred to as the Director, or the DPT) was the head of the Public Transport Division (PTD) of the Victorian Department of Transport. PTD was the

government agency A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administrati ...

responsible for promoting, providing, coordinating and regulating

public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typi ...

in the

State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

between August 1999 and April 2012. The Director of Public Transport was created as a

statutory A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by le ...

office supported by staff of the Department of Transport. The key responsibilities of the Director centred on the entering into and management of

franchising Franchising is based on a marketing concept which can be adopted by an organization as a strategy for business expansion. Where implemented, a franchisor licenses some or all of its know-how, procedures, intellectual property, use of its busine ...

contracts A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tr ...

with

train In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often ...

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport ...

and

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...

companies to provide

services in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

and

. The Director also had oversight of the

Victorian Taxi Directorate Commercial Passenger Vehicles Victoria (CPVV), until 2 June 2018 called the Taxi Services Commission (TSC), is the Government agency responsible for the regulation of the taxi and hire car industries in the State of Victoria, Australia. Before ...

which regulates the

taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...

and

hire car A car rental, hire car or car hire agency is a company that rents automobiles for short periods of time to the public, generally ranging from a few hours to a few weeks. It is often organized with numerous local branches (which allow a user to ...

industry in Victoria. As part of its operational functions, the DPT also had responsibilities relating to

planning and projects as well as the

accreditation Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

of passenger transport companies for

enforcement Enforcement is the proper execution of the process of ensuring compliance with laws, regulations, rules, standards, and social norms. Governments attempt to effectuate successful implementation of policies by enforcing laws and regulations. E ...

purposes and the appointment and management of authorised officers for

activities across Victoria's

system. On 2 April 2012, the majority of the Director's functions were transferred to either the newly created

Public Transport Victoria Public Transport Victoria (PTV) is the brand name for public transport in the Australian state of Victoria. It was the trading name of the Go Public Transport Development Authority (PTDA), a now-defunct statutory authority in Victoria, respo ...

or the Secretary of the

Department of Transport The Department for Transport (DfT) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have not been devolved. The d ...

. The office of the Director of Public Transport was abolished on 1 July 2013.

Main responsibilities

Trains, trams and buses

The most prominent responsibilities of the Director of Public Transport concerned the

contracting A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tr ...

of transport operators to provide

and

services in

and

regional In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

. Accordingly, the Director was responsible for procuring services through operators, and entering into and managing franchise contracts. The key contracts managed by the office were: *

Trains in Melbourne The Melbourne rail network is a passenger and freight train system in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The metropolitan passenger rail network is centred on the Melbourne CBD and consists of 222 stations across 16 lines, which se ...

(contract with

Metro Trains Melbourne Metro Trains Melbourne, often known simply as Metro, is the franchise operator of the electrified suburban passenger service on the Melbourne rail network. Metro Trains Melbourne is a joint venture between Hong Kong-based MTR Corporation (60% ...

)- these services covered the provision of

suburban A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separa ...

rail Rail or rails may refer to: Rail transport *Rail transport and related matters *Rail (rail transport) or railway lines, the running surface of a railway Arts and media Film * ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini * ''Rail'' ( ...

services in

Trams in Melbourne Trams are a major form of public transport in Melbourne, the capital city of the state of Victoria, Australia. As of May 2017, the Melbourne tramway network consists of of double track, 493 trams, 24 routes, and 1,763 tram stops. The system ...

(with

Keolis Downer Keolis Downer is a joint venture between Keolis, the largest private sector French transport group, and Downer Rail, an Australian railway engineering company, that operates bus and tram services in Australia. History In June 2009, the Victo ...

) - these services covered the provision of

and light rail services in

* Trains in regional Victoria (with V/Line Corporation) - these services covered the provision of

services in country and regional

* Bus services in Melbourne and the rest of Victoria, including

school bus A school bus is any type of bus owned, leased, contracted to, or operated by a school or school district. It is regularly used to transport students to and from school or school-related activities, but not including a charter bus or transit bus ...

services, with a large number of different bus operators. Train and tram services in Victoria are governed by complex statutory, government and commercial relationships. VicTrack is the custodian of all

infrastructure and

asset In financial accounting, an asset is any resource owned or controlled by a business or an economic entity. It is anything (tangible or intangible) that can be used to produce positive economic value. Assets represent value of ownership that c ...

s in Victoria. VicTrack leased these to the Director of Public Transport through the Metropolitan Infrastructure Head Lease. The Director then sub-leased the assets to the

metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a typ ...

train and tram operators through Infrastructure Leases. The Director managed the rights and obligations contained in these

lease A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...

s on behalf of the State. The Director also entered into franchise agreements with the metropolitan train and tram operators that governed the provision of

passenger A passenger (also abbreviated as pax) is a person who travels in a vehicle, but does not bear any responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination or otherwise operate the vehicle, and is not a steward. Th ...

services. The franchise agreements specified a range of operational and service requirements administered and managed by the Director. In relation to regional train services operated by V/Line Corporation, similar arrangements were entered into with VicTrack and the Director. VicTrack leased the

train infrastructure and assets to the Director, who then sub-leased these assets to V/Line under the Regional Infrastructure Lease. Similarly, the Director and V/Line entered into a franchise agreement which governed the operational and service requirements for regional train services. Melbourne transport

Taxis and hire cars

The Director of Public Transport was the regulator of taxi and hire car services in

. The Victorian Taxi Directorate (VTD) was a specialised Branch of the DPT and managed these services under

delegation Delegation is the assignment of authority to another person (normally from a manager to a subordinate) to carry out specific activities. It is the process of distributing and entrusting work to another person,Schermerhorn, J., Davidson, P., Poole ...

from the Director. The office of the Director, again through the VTD, was also responsible for the

of commercial passenger vehicle drivers including taxi drivers. The responsibilities were later conferred by delegation on the VTD from the Secretary of the

but have been overseen by the Taxi Services Commission as of 1 July 2013.

Other responsibilities

The Director was also charged with the

of passenger transport companies for

purposes, and the appointment and management of authorised officers for

across the public transport system. The Director also had responsibility for regulating the appointment and activities of

driving instructor A driving instructor is a person who is hired by a new driver who is learning how to improve their skills - often for an upcoming practical test. Different countries have different rules regarding permits and other regulations. Driving instructors ...

s and administering a compensation scheme for traumatised

train drivers A train driver, engine driver, engineman or locomotive driver, commonly known as an engineer or railroad engineer in the United States and Canada, and also as a locomotive handler, locomotive operator, train operator, or motorman, is a pers ...

. The responsibilities were later conferred by delegation on the VTD from the Secretary of the

but since 1 July 2013 are the responsibility of the Taxi Services Commission. C-class-tram-melbourne

Governance

Establishment

The office of the Director of Public Transport was established in 1999 following the passage of the ''Rail Corporations (Further Amendment) Act'' 1998 through the

Victorian Parliament The Parliament of Victoria is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Victoria that follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system. It consists of the King, represented by the Governor of Victoria, the Legislative Assembly and ...

. This Act effectively privatised those aspects of the operation of public transport in Victoria which were not already provided directly by private companies. On 24 August 1999, the Director effectively took over responsibility for public transport in Victoria from the former

Public Transport Corporation The Public Transport Corporation (PTC) was a Victoria State Government owned statutory authority formed under the Transport Act 1983 which operated passenger and freight trains, trams and bus services. The PTC was also responsible for directly ...

, which had been a

statutory authority A statutory body or statutory authority is a body set up by law (statute) that is authorised to implement certain legislation on behalf of the relevant country or state, sometimes by being empowered or delegated to set rules (for example re ...

responsible for operating a large proportion of Victoria's public transport services. The ''Rail Corporations (Further Amendment) Act'' inserted provisions into the then ''Transport Act'' 1983 to create the office and its functions and powers. The office of the DPT was later re-established under the

Transport Integration Act 2010 The Transport Integration Act 2010 (the Act) is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria, Australia. The Act is the prime transport statute in Victoria, having replaced major parts of the ''Transport Act 1983'', which was renam ...

Transport Integration Act

The

Transport Integration Act The Transport Integration Act 2010 (the Act) is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria, Australia. The Act is the prime transport statute in Victoria, having replaced major parts of the ''Transport Act 1983'', which was renam ...

provided the Director of Public Transport with new objects, functions and powers on 1 July 2010.

Objects

The

provided that the primary object of the Director of Public Transport was to "...provide, operate and maintain the public transport system...". Other notable objects of the Director included: * ensuring, in collaboration with other transport bodies and public entities, that public transport operates as part of an integrated

transport system A transport network, or transportation network, is a network or graph in geographic space, describing an infrastructure that permits and constrains movement or flow. Examples include but are not limited to road networks, railways, air routes, ...

which seeks to meet the needs of all transport system users * managing public transport in a manner which supports sustainability by seeking to increase the share of

trips as a proportion of all transport trips in Victoria * seeking to improve the environmental performance of public transport including by minimising its adverse environmental impacts * contributing to social well-being by providing access to opportunities and supporting liveable communities * promoting economic prosperity through efficient and reliable movement of public transport users while also supporting

freight Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including tran ...

services * improving the

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are two slightly di ...

of public transport for public transport users.

Functions

The functions of the Director of Public Transport included: * constructing, maintaining or varying public transport

infrastructure Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and priv ...

* planning for the public transport system * providing, operating or facilitating public transport including by entering or managing contracts for public transport services and purchasing and maintaining

rolling stock The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, freight and passenger cars (or coaches), and non-revenue cars. Passenger vehicles ca ...

* developing

policies Policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an orga ...

and

strategies Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "art of troop leader; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the " ar ...

to improve safety and security on the public transport system * developing and implementing policies, plans and guidelines * providing

licensing A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...

and

services *

monitoring Monitoring may refer to: Science and technology Biology and healthcare * Monitoring (medicine), the observation of a disease, condition or one or several medical parameters over time * Baby monitoring * Biomonitoring, of toxic chemical compounds, ...

and reporting on contractual performance.

Powers

The general and specific powers of the Director of Public Transport included a broad range of powers in relation to

land Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various isla ...

, contracting,

, tree clearance, breaking up roads, installing stopping places, closure of

level crossings A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line crossing over or under using an overpass or tunnel. The term als ...

, stopping of

traffic Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...

, etc.

Other Victorian transport agencies

There are a range of State agencies responsible for the

in Victoria. The

(DOT) oversees and coordinates the activities of the agencies which can be divided into three main types - statutory offices, statutory authorities and independent transport safety agencies. Together with DOT, the agencies provide, manage and regulate transport system activities in Victoria including: * heavy and light rail systems including

s and

s * roads systems and

vehicle A vehicle (from la, vehiculum) is a machine that transports people or cargo. Vehicles include wagons, bicycles, motor vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, mobility scooters for disabled people), railed vehicles (trains, trams), ...

s including cars,

truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...

s and

bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. B ...

s * ports and waterways including commercial

ship A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...

s and recreational vessels * some

air transport Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot ai ...

systems.

Statutory office

The statutory office is the Transport Infrastructure Development Agent

Statutory authorities

The statutory authorities are: * the Roads Corporation (VicRoads) *

* Victorian Rail Track Corporation (VicTrack) * V/Line Corporation (V/Line) * Taxi Services Commission * the Linking Melbourne Authority * the

Port of Melbourne Corporation The Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) is a statutory body established by the Victorian Government to develop and manage the Port of Melbourne, Australia's busiest container port. The Corporation commenced operations on 1 July 2003, when it t ...

* the

Port of Hastings Development Authority The Port of Hastings Development Authority is an authority of the Government of Victoria, Australia. The authority is responsible for the development and management of the port of Hastings located in Western Port Bay approximately 72 kilometres ...

* the Victorian Regional Channels Authority * the

Transport Ticketing Authority The Transport Ticketing Authority (TTA) was a statutory authority within the Department of Transport in the State Government of Victoria, Australia. It was established in June 2003 to manage Victoria's interest in the OneLink Metcard public tra ...

* the Regional Rail Link Authority. Many of these agencies are more or less separate from the Department of Transport.

Independent transport safety agencies

The independent transport safety agencies are: * the Director, Transport Safety (Transport Safety Victoria) * the Chief Investigator, Transport Safety. These agencies are part of the Department of Transport but are functionally independent and report to the relevant Ministers.

Abolition of the Director of Public Transport

The office of Director of Public Transport was phased out by the state government following the Victorian state election in November 2010. The

Transport Legislation Amendment (Taxi Services Reform and Other Matters) Act 2011 The Transport Legislation Amendment (Taxi Services Reform and Other Matters) Act 2011 (the Act) is a law enacted by the Parliament of the State of Victoria, Australia to reform taxi and other small commercial passenger vehicle services in the Sta ...

transferred direct responsibility for taxi and small commercial passenger vehicle services from the Director to the Secretary of the

. That was essentially a transitional step before the activities were assumed by the Taxi Services Commission established by that Act. The Commission took over regulatory control of taxis and hire cars on 1 July 2013. More broadly, the Director's responsibility for the provision of train, tram and bus services across Victoria were transferred to

on 2 April 2012. The office of the Director of Public Transport was finally abolished on 1 July 2013.Transport Legislation Amendment (Public Transport Development Authority) Act 2011.

References

External links

Department of Transport website

Government of Victoria website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Director of Public Transport Public transport in Melbourne Former government agencies of Victoria (Australia) Government agencies established in 1999 1999 establishments in Australia 2012 disestablishments in Australia

Main responsibilities

Trains, trams and buses

Taxis and hire cars

Other responsibilities

Governance

Establishment

Transport Integration Act

Objects

Functions

Powers

Other Victorian transport agencies

Statutory office

Statutory authorities

Independent transport safety agencies

Abolition of the Director of Public Transport

See also

References

External links