Public Transport Corporation

Public Transport Corporation
The Met logo in teal & sunflower
Statutory Authority overview
Formed1 July 1989
Preceding Statutory Authority
Superseding Statutory Authority
JurisdictionVictoria
HeadquartersMelbourne
Parent Statutory AuthorityDepartment of Transport
Key document
  • Transport (Amendment) Act 1989

The Public Transport Corporation (PTC) was a Victoria State Government owned statutory authority formed under the Transport Act 1983[1] which operated passenger and freight trains, trams and bus services.

The PTC was also responsible for directly operating some bus services and procuring bus services from private operators. It was established on 1 July 1989 as a result of the passage and commencement of the Transport (Amendment) Act 1989 to manage the responsibilities of the State Transport Authority and the Metropolitan Transit Authority. In suburban Melbourne it continued to be referred to by the MTA's nickname of The Met, while in regional Victoria it operated as V/Line.

The operational rail and tram activities of the PTC were franchised in 1999 by the Kennett Government through the intermediary of a new agency, the Director of Public Transport, a statutory office within the Department of Transport. The director was required to enter into franchise agreements with private rail and tram companies for the on-the-ground delivery of public transport services. The land and infrastructure assets of the Public Transport Corporation were transferred to another new agency, VicTrack, who then leased those assets to the Director of Public Transport, which in turn sub-leased the assets to the private operators.

  1. ^ The name of this Act was changed from 1 July 2010 to the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act 1983 as a result of the passage and commencement of the Transport Integration Act 2010. Victorian transport authorities are now primarily created by that Act and the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) Act is essentially now a support statute to the Transport Integration Act.