The Victorian Public Transport Ombudsman ('PTO') is a free, independent service that helps people resolve complaints about public transport in Victoria. It is a not-for-profit organisation, separate from transport operators and the Government.
The PTO’s role is to make sure complaints are handled fairly and to improve public transport services for everyone.
What types of complaints can you make?
The PTO looks at complaints about public transport in Victoria, but only if they involve a Scheme Member (for example, train, tram, or bus operators, or organisations involved in major public transport projects).
You can complain to the PTO about:
- Ticketing and fines: Issues with myki or other ticketing systems. The PTO can also review fines in some cases, but only after the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) has reviewed and refused to withdraw the fine. This includes circumstances involving disability, homelessness, mental illness, family violence, serious addiction, or other extraordinary circumstances.
- Information and customer support: Lack of information about services, cancellations, delays, works notifications, timetables, or poor customer service.
- Authorised officers: Aggressive, intimidating, or inappropriate conduct by Authorised Officers when checking tickets or dealing with passengers.
- Service safety, cleanliness, or timeliness: Concerns about unsafe or unclean vehicles or stations, late or cancelled services, or problems accessing services due to disability, age, or safety issues.
- Systemic issues: Problems that affect many passengers, such as inaccessible infrastructure, unsafe practices, or processes that disadvantage people with visible or hidden disabilities.
- Other public transport-related activities: Issues with noise, dust, or disruption caused by major projects or maintenance works, and accessibility problems with facilities, vehicles, or customer service processes.
The PTO does not cover:
- Government policy and future services: Decisions about new bus routes, train lines, or other future planning.
- Fares and pricing: How fares are set or the price of tickets.
- Free school bus services: Complaints about these services fall outside PTO’s powers.
- Taxis and ride-sharing services: Issues with taxis, Uber, or similar services.
- Freight trains, ferries, or airlines: These are not covered by the PTO.
- Protective Services Officers (PSOs): Complaints about their conduct.
- Non-Scheme Members: Any operator or organisation that is not a member of the PTO scheme.
If you are unsure whether your issue is something the PTO can handle, you can call them on 1800 466 865 (Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm) for advice.
Timing:
There is no strict deadline to make a complaint, but it is best to raise it as soon as possible after the incident.
Discretion:
The PTO may decline to investigate your complaint if:
- it is vexatious, dishonest, or has no value,
- you are not directly affected by the issue,
- an investigation is unnecessary, or
- another body is more appropriate to handle it.
The PTO must also act consistently with Victorian Government and Public Transport Victoria (PTV) policies, and cannot act in ways that breach Commonwealth or State laws or regulations.
Who can you make a complaint against?
You can complain to the PTO about the behaviour or decisions of Scheme Members – these are operators, agencies, or projects that are part of the PTO scheme. This includes:
- Public transport staff: Drivers, conductors, call centre workers, and customer service staff.
- Authorised Officers: Their behaviour or conduct when inspecting tickets or interacting with passengers.
- Tram operators: Yarra Trams (Keolis Downer EDI), which runs the metropolitan tram network under a government franchise.
- Train operators and agencies:
- Metro Trains Melbourne (Metro): Operates the metropolitan train network.
- V/Line: Runs regional trains, coaches, and rail infrastructure.
- Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP): Responsible for removing 50 level crossings across Melbourne.
- Metro Tunnel Project (Rail Projects Victoria): Oversees design and delivery of the Metro Tunnel.
- Suburban Rail Loop Authority (SRLA): Plans and delivers the Suburban Rail Loop.
- VicTrack: Owns most rail and tram land, assets, and rolling stock, leasing them to operators.
- Southern Cross Station Pty Ltd: Manages Melbourne’s main transport hub.
- Bus operators:
- BusVic: Represents most private bus operators in Victoria.
- CDC Victoria: Runs services in Melbourne’s west, Ballarat, Geelong, and Mildura.
- Christians Bus: Services Bendigo and regional western Victoria.
- Dysons: Operates buses in Victoria, NSW, and SA.
- Kinetic: Runs one third of Melbourne’s bus routes and airport services.
- SkyBus: Provides airport transfer services.
- Transit Systems (Victoria): Formerly Sita Buslines, runs metropolitan bus services.
- Ventura Bus Lines: Runs extensive metropolitan and regional bus routes.
- Department of Transport and Planning / Public Transport Victoria (PTV): Oversees Victoria’s tram, train, and bus services, including myki ticketing.
You cannot complain about:
- Government policies or decisions (for example, new routes, service frequency, or future projects).
- Taxis, ride-sharing services (like Uber), freight trains, ferries, or airlines.
- The pricing of fares or how fares are set.
- Complaints already finalised by a court, tribunal, or by PTV itself.
Are you eligible to make a complaint?
Anyone in Victoria can make a complaint to the PTO.
Before you complain:
You must first contact the public transport operator or agency involved to give them a chance to fix the issue. If you are not satisfied with their response, or they fail to respond, you can then take your complaint to the PTO.
Complaints on behalf of others:
You can make a complaint for someone else if you are their authorised representative (for example, a family member, friend, lawyer, or advocate).
The PTO cannot take your complaint if it's about:
- Government policy or planning decisions.
- The price of fares.
- Free school bus services.
- Taxis and ride-sharing services such as Uber.
- Freight trains, ferries, or airlines.
- The actions or behaviour of Protective Services Officers (PSOs).
What can this body do to help?
The PTO works to resolve complaints fairly, quickly, and for free. Most complaints are resolved through discussion and agreement, but the Ombudsman also has powers to investigate and make binding decisions if needed.
The PTO can:
- Conciliate (most common): The PTO will speak with you and the operator (by phone or email) to understand the issue and what outcome you are seeking. Within 14 days, they will contact you to discuss the operator’s response. If you both agree on an outcome, the complaint is closed and confirmed in writing. If no agreement is reached, the Ombudsman may investigate or decide on another way forward.
- Investigate (for complex issues): The PTO gathers information from you and the operator to decide on a fair and reasonable outcome. You may be asked to provide documents, correspondence, or evidence of costs. The operator will also provide information. The Ombudsman will usually contact you within 21 days to share a preliminary assessment. If more time is needed, you will get updates every two weeks.
- Provide remedies or require action: Outcomes may include:
- an apology or detailed explanation,
- refunds or reimbursements,
- goodwill or compensation payments,
- changes to policies or processes,
- staff training or counselling, or
- other corrective actions such as clearer information for the public.
Important: If agreement cannot be reached, the PTO can make a binding decision on how the complaint should be resolved.
How to prepare your complaint:
When preparing your complaint, include as much detail as you can so the PTO understands the issue clearly.
What to include:
- Your details: full name, phone number, email address.
- Who the complaint is about: the operator, agency, or staff member.
- What happened: explain the problem clearly, including dates, times, locations, and people involved.
- Impact: describe how the incident affected you.
- What outcome you want: for example, a refund, apology, policy change, or another fair resolution.
- Evidence: attach documents such as tickets, receipts, emails, letters, photos, or witness statements.
What not to include:
Do not provide false or misleading information.
Important:
When you lodge your complaint, the PTO will give you a copy of what you submitted.
Lodging your complaint and next steps:
Ways to make a complaint:
- Online: fill in the complaint form
- Phone: call 1800 466 865 (Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm)
- Email: send to enquiries@ptovic.com.au
- Post: Public Transport Ombudsman, PO Box 538, Collins Street West, Melbourne VIC 8007
- You can also contact the PTO using the National Relay Service or the Translation and Interpreting Service if needed.
What happens next:
- Acknowledgement: The PTO will confirm they’ve received your complaint within 5 business days.
- Initial assessment: They will check if your complaint is within their powers.
- Conciliation: In most cases, the PTO will talk with you and the operator to find a fair solution. They will contact you within 14 days to discuss the operator’s response. If agreement is reached, the matter is closed and confirmed in writing. If not, the Ombudsman may move to investigation.
- Investigation (if needed): The PTO gathers more information from you and the operator and makes a decision on what is fair and reasonable.
- Outcome: The PTO will confirm the result in writing. Remedies may include refunds, explanations, changes to policies, or other corrective actions.
Timeframes:
Most complaints are resolved within 21 days. If it takes longer, the PTO will update you at least every two weeks on progress.
Discretion:
The PTO can close a complaint if:
- You stop responding to their requests,
- A fair outcome has already been offered, or
- It decides it’s not appropriate to continue.
More information:
Refer to the factsheet provided below for more information.
