Australian Capital Territory
Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) (Minimum Service Standards for Bus Services) Approval 2006 (No 1)*
Disallowable instrument DI2006–40
made under the  
Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Regulation 2002, section 18B (Minimum service standards for regulated services)

1	Name of instrument
This instrument is the Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) (Minimum Service Standards for Bus Services) Approval 2006 (No 1).
2	Commencement 
This instrument commences on the day after notification. 
3	Approval
	I approve the standards contained in Schedule 1 as the Minimum Services Standards for the operation of a Bus Service.

Michael John Zissler
Road Transport Authority
7 March 2006

SCHEDULE 1

MINIMUM SERVICE STANDARDS FOR BUS SERVICES

PART 1	Minimum Service Standard for the Location of Bus Depots

1.1	The operator of the bus service must provide to the Road Transport Authority (the Authority) the details of the location of the bus depot if a bus depot is operated.

PART 2	Minimum Service Standard for Parking, Cleaning, Servicing, Maintenance & Repair of Buses (Including Compliance with Section 21 (Maintenance of Buses))

2.1	The Operator of a Bus Service must:

(1)	ensure off-street parking arrangements are available for a bus when it is not being used to operate the bus service;

(2)	provide detailed, scale drawings of the bus parking arrangements; and

(3)	ensure buses used to operate the bus service are not parked in residential areas other than in accordance with Part 1.3.1 Heavy Vehicle Parking under the Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) Regulation 2000.

2.2	The Operator of a Bus Service must implement a regular maintenance, service and inspection program for all buses used to provide the bus service, to ensure compliance with the vehicles manufacturers’ standards for the buses. The program must include:

(1)	ensuring appropriate facilities are available for the service, repair and maintenance of buses;

(2)	ensuring the people undertaking the servicing, maintenance and repairs of buses are appropriately trained and have a trade certificate or licence for the work they are performing;

(3)	if the operator undertakes “in-house” servicing, providing the details and relevant qualifications of persons who will do the servicing;

(4)	for servicing, maintenance or repairs of buses carried out on behalf of the Accredited Operator, having suitable arrangements in place with the entity providing the services to ensure the buses comply with the Act;
(5)	for servicing, maintenance and repairs of buses carried out on behalf of the Accredited Operator, providing the details of the entity providing those services, and the place where those activities are carried out;

(6)	ensuring appropriate people are engaged to service and repair equipment in buses and that faults in equipment can be responded to within a reasonable period after they occur; 

(7)	ensuring users of the equipment are trained in the efficient operation of the equipment including, if applicable, security cameras in buses; and

(8)	ensuring processes are in place for drivers to inspect buses prior to departure and report defects and faults (including to equipment).

2.3	The Operator of a Bus Service must implement a cleaning program that ensures buses are cleaned on a regular basis.  The cleaning program must include, at a minimum:	

(1)	the frequency of general and detailed cleaning and details of what is undertaken, eg vacuuming, wash windows, steam cleaning etc;

(2)	the nomination of persons/positions in the organisation who conduct the cleaning, and the facility at which  buses are cleaned;

(3)	the procedure to ensure that all buses used to operate the bus service are captured under the program.

The areas to be cleaned include: 

(a)	the interior, including overhead luggage compartments;

(b)	the exterior, including the body and door panels, the bumper bars, the trim, and the wheels; and

(c)	the fittings including seats, seat covers, floor coverings and any device or equipment required to be installed under the Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Regulation 2002 or the Authority approved Standards.

PART 3	Minimum Service Standards for Making and Management of Records 

3.1	The Operator of a Bus Service must maintain records which are capable of being audited for:

(1)	the date, time, origin and destination of every tour and charter and/or regular route service (including a school bus service);

(2)	the bus used, and the driver details, for every tour and charter and/or regular route service (including a school bus service);

(3)	the name in which each tour and charter hiring is made;

(4)	the vehicle maintenance, servicing and inspection program (as set out in 2.2) 

(5)	the testing and servicing of equipment or devices installed in or on a bus; 

(6)	if vehicle maintenance is undertaken on behalf of the accredited operator, the invoices and receipts for that maintenance work;

(7)	a lost property register with numerically numbered pages indicating sequential recording of lost items; and

(8)	motor vehicle accidents or other incidents in which:

(a)	the death of, or bodily injury to, a person is caused by, or arises out of the use of, a bus;  or

(b)	damage to property is caused by, or arises out of the use of, a bus.

3.2	The Operator of a Bus Service must:

(1)	in accordance with the requirements under section 24 of the Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Regulation 2002, report any notifiable incident using the Authority approved form and have processes in place to ensure reports are generated, and forwarded to the Authority for each incident, within 5 days of the incident; and
	
(2)	provide to the Authority, the details of a person or position within the organisation responsible for the recording and reporting of notifiable incidents. 
PART 4	Minimum Service Standard for the Operation of the Bus Service

4.1	The Operator of a Bus Service must:

(1)	if a corporation, ensure no person other than the directors, office holders or managers have management of the day-to-day operations of the bus service; and

(2)	provide to bus drivers employed or otherwise utilised, a copy of the Bus Operator’s Accepted Service Standards or, where approved by the Authority, a condensed version of the Bus Operator’s Accepted Service Standards contained in the Operator’s Driver Handbook.

PART 5	Minimum Service Standard for Compliance with Section 26 (Bus drivers to hold appropriate driver licence or authority)

5.1	The Operator of a Bus Service must:

(1)	regularly check the expiry dates of driver licences and authorities held by drivers employed, or otherwise utilised, to ensure licences and authorities remain current;

(2)	as requested by the Authority from time to time, provide the Authority with a list of all drivers used by the Operator for the provision of the bus service, including each driver’s full name and driver licence or driver authority number;

(3)	have processes in place to ensure that any new driver’s details are provided to the Authority by the time the person commences driving for the Operator and that the Authority is notified of any driver who ceases driving for the Operator; and

(4)	if notified by the Authority that a driver’s licence has been suspended or cancelled, ensure that the person does not drive a bus for the Operator.

PART 6	Minimum Service Standard for the Training of Bus Drivers

6.1	The Operator of a Bus Service must:

(1) 	ensure drivers are trained in relevant public safety and occupational health and safety laws and regulations applying within the ACT;

(2)	ensure drivers are trained in the use of any communications equipment, alarms, tracking devices, and security cameras;

(3)	ensure drivers are trained to manage any incident causing the death of, or bodily injury to, a person; 

(4)	ensure drivers are made aware of their responsibilities under the Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Regulation 2002;

(5)	provide training for staff on customer complaints processes and dispute resolution;

(6)	ensure drivers know of the lost property requirements for drivers under section 40 of the Road Transport (Public Passenger Services) Regulation 2002;

(7)	give the Authority a copy of any training programs that are implemented by the Operator of the bus service and undertaken by bus drivers.

PART 7	Minimum Service Standard for Driving Hours and Rest Periods for Bus Drivers

7.1	The Operator of a Bus Service must:

(1) 	develop rosters that allow bus drivers employed or otherwise utilised to comply with the following driving and rest hours:

(a)	 time period of 5 &½ hours – a minimum of 30 minutes rest, either in one period of 30 minutes or two 15 minute periods;

(b)	time period of 24 hours – a maximum of 12 total driving hours with a minimum of 12 total rest hours which must include one continuous period of 8 hours rest;  

(c)	time period of 168 hours (1 week) – a maximum of 72 total driving hours; 

(d)	time period of 672 hours (4 weeks) – a minimum of 384 rest hours which must include continuous rest periods of:

•	4 X 24 hours, or
•	1 X 72 plus 1 X 24 hours, or
•	2 X 48 hours, or
•	1 X 96 hours;

(2)	in relation to driving hours:

(a)	ensure that a person or position within the Bus Operator’s organisation is specifically tasked with ensuring rosters comply with driving hours requirements;

(b)	develop arrangements for informing drivers of the driving hours requirements; and

(c)	develop arrangements for ensuring drivers with a second job driving buses comply with driving hour requirements.

PART 8	Minimum Service Standard for the Monitoring of the Safety of Bus Drivers

8.1	The Operator of a Bus Service must:

(1)	if any bus used to operate the bus service is fitted with a security camera system, ensure that Standards for Security Cameras approved by the Authority are adhered to and the Authority is notified of the security camera system before becoming operational;

(2)	if any bus is fitted with a security camera system or other alarm systems, ensure  the system is monitored and that activated alarms are responded to immediately; and

(3)	ensure that any defects or faults reported for equipment that monitors the safety of drivers are repaired expeditiously.

PART 9	Minimum Service Standard for How Contraventions of Road Transport Legislation by Bus Drivers will be Handled

9.1	For Operators other than operator/drivers, the Operator of the Bus Service must develop and provide to the Authority, a bus driver disciplinary program setting out the arrangements and processes for dealing with drivers who have been reported to the Operator of the Bus Service as having breached the Road Transport Legislation or are the subject of a serious complaint.

9.2	The program must include:

(1)	the arrangements for investigating alleged breaches;

(2)	escalation processes which could include referrals, graded penalties and/or disciplinary action such as suspension from driving for the bus service;

(3)	the arrangements for identifying, and notifying the Authority of, very serious disciplinary matters (for example, the linkages between the complaints and disciplinary processes, and the establishment of ‘triggers’ for when a series of complaints about a driver warrant investigation by the operator of the bus service or 
referral to the Authority or when a single complaint is considered serious enough to be referred to the Authority); and

(4)	processes for tracking the number of occasions the disciplinary process has been applied to each driver.

9.3	The Operator of a Bus Service must ensure drivers are disciplined in      accordance with the disciplinary program.

PART 10	Minimum Service Standard for Customer Inquiries and       Complaints 

10.1	The Operator of the Bus Service must:

(1)	respond to customer inquiries in a timely and accurate manner;

(2)	respond to the Authority within seven (7) days after a customer complaint has been forwarded to the operator of a bus service by the Authority;

(3)	establish procedures for handling and recording customer complaints and dispute resolution;

(4)	investigate all customer complaints and report the results of the investigation of the complaint to the complainant in a timely and courteous manner;

(5)	establish processes for ensuring serious complaints are reported to management and the Authority as necessary; 

(6)	provide training for relevant staff on customer complaints processes and dispute resolution; and

(7)	provide a copy of the procedures for the handling and recording of customer complaints and dispute resolution.

PART 11	Minimum Service Standard for the Handling of Lost Property

11.1	The Operator of a Bus Service must:

(1)	establish procedures for handling and recording lost property including:

(a)	ensuring the security of stored lost property,

(b)	notifying the Authority of the names and contact numbers of those of its employees who have responsibility for lost property,
(c)	continuous public notification that the bus service operates a lost property service and the telephone number for the 	service, and

(d)	for regular route service operators, the availability for receipt of lost property seven (7) days a week;

(2)	ensure that any lost property is dealt with according to the procedures and is disposed of in accordance with any directions given by the Authority; and

(3)	provide a copy of the lost property procedure. 

PART 12	Minimum Service Standard for Making Available Information to the Public  

12.1	A Operator of a Bus Service must ensure:

(1)	for regular route service operators, make information on fares, timetables and route maps widely available to the public; and

(2)	information on timetables, route maps and tour information is provided to the Authority on a continuous basis.

PART 13	Minimum Service Standard for the Training of People to Manage, and the Management of, Incidents Involving Death or Injury

13.1	Within six months of the commencement of the Minimum Services Standards, the Operator of the Bus Service must develop and provide to the Authority, an incident management program containing:

(1)	the training of staff to manage any incident causing the death of, or bodily injury to a person as a result of the bus being used to operate the bus service;

(2)	details of the persons/positions within the organisation responsible for the management of critical incidents; and

(3)	the arrangements and processes for dealing with critical incidents.

PART 14	Minimum Service Standard for Insurance

14.1	The Operator of a Bus Service who operates a bus service with more than one bus must implement a system to allow for the easy identification of each public vehicle policy expiry date.

14.2	The Operator of a Bus Service must provide evidence of the currency of the public vehicle policy at the request of the Authority or any other authorised person when required to do so.