page_title: Director of Public Transport
section_title: Trains, trams and buses
hierarchical_section_title: Director of Public Transport / Main responsibilities / Trains, trams and buses
caption_attribution_description: English: Trams and Taxis of Melbourne
context_page_description: The Director of Public Transport was the head of the Public Transport Division of the Victorian Department of Transport. PTD was the government agency responsible for promoting, providing, coordinating and regulating public transport in the State of Victoria, Australia between August 1999 and April 2012. The Director of Public Transport was created as a statutory office supported by staff of the Department of Transport.
  The key responsibilities of the Director centred on the entering into and management of franchising contracts with train, tram and bus companies to provide public transport services in Melbourne and Victoria. The Director also had oversight of the Victorian Taxi Directorate which regulates the taxi and hire car industry in Victoria. As part of its operational functions, the DPT also had responsibilities relating to public transport planning and projects as well as the accreditation of passenger transport companies for enforcement purposes and the appointment and management of authorised officers for enforcement activities across Victoria's public transport system.
context_section_description: The most prominent responsibilities of the Director of Public Transport concerned the franchising or contracting of transport operators to provide train, tram and bus services in Melbourne and regional Victoria.  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 (contract with Metro Trains Melbourne)- these services covered the provision of suburban rail services in Melbourne
  Trams in Melbourne (with Keolis Downer) - 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 the rest of Victoria, including school 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 rail infrastructure and assets 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 train and tram operators through Infrastructure Leases.  The Director managed the rights and obligations contained in these leases on behalf of the State. The Director also entered into franchise agreements with the metropolitan train and tram operators that governed the provision of public transport passenger 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 regional 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.
caption: Taxis and trams in Melbourne. Taxis in Victoria were regulated by the Victorian Taxi Directorate, a business unit previously located in the office of the Director of Public Transport.
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