Trio to form "properly integrated transport department"
Victorian transport authorities VicRoads and Public Transport Victoria are in the process of joining with the Department of Transport “to create a properly integrated transport department”.
The merger started on July 1, to be “in step with other global cities”, the department says.
“The new, integrated Department of Transport will plan and operate transport in a way that matches the people and products that travel on it – focusing on the destination, rather than which mode we use,” it says.
It says the amalgamation enables it to:
- respond much faster – and give people the information they need – to make the best travel choices, especially around major network disruptions
- make better use of existing road and rail, shifting more journeys onto rail and prioritising public transport on roads
- respond much quicker to innovation and new transport technologies
- take a holistic view in planning for the future, to meet demand for more than 23 million journeys a day and a tripling of freight by 2050
- partner with others to address a range of issues, from safety to reducing environmental impacts.
The Victorian move follows that of New South Wales, which in April announced that Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) would be subsumed into Transport for NSW.
Read more about the NSW transport merger, here
“VicRoads will continue to have a strong presence in the community with 40 customer service centres across the state. All Victorians will continue to access vehicle registration and licensing services through VicRoads.
“Regional Roads Victoria will remain as an arm of the Department of Transport focused on providing safer and better roads that support regional communities’ growth and prosperity now and in the future.
“Importantly, these changes will help us better manage disruptions to the transport network during Victoria’s Big Build – a $57 billion investment in transport infrastructure.
“It will allow us to respond much faster and give people the information they need to make the best travel choices to get where they need to go sooner.”
As the changes will proceed over the next few months, the PTV and VicRoads digital presence will remain unchanged for now, the department notes.