Under the PTO Constitution, the role and effectiveness of the Public Transport Ombudsman (PTO) Scheme must be reviewed by an independent third party every five years.
The purpose of these periodic reviews is to give the PTO Board and its stakeholders an independent view of the PTO’s role and performance against the Benchmarks for Industry-based Customer Dispute Resolution, our Charter, and other core Scheme requirements.
Members of the general public, and the PTO’s industry, government and community stakeholders, were invited to provide feedback to Independent Reviewer cameron. ralph. khoury (CRK) between 29 July and 23 August 2024. This feedback period has now closed.
CRK expects to deliver its Final Report to the Ombudsman and PTO Board in late November 2024.
Key questions about the PTO Scheme Review 2024
What are the Review’s primary areas of enquiry?
The Review will assess the PTO’s operation in accordance with the six key practices associated with the Benchmarks for Industry-based Customer Dispute Resolution and the PTO’s approach to governance and privacy. The Review’s eight primary areas of enquiry area are:
1. Accessibility
Is the PTO easy to access for people who may face barriers to using PTO services or public transport services?
Are the consumer engagement and outreach activities of the PTO appropriate given the size of the organisation?
2. Independence
Do the PTO’s processes ensure that the PTO acts, and is seen to act, independently from the interests of Government and members?
3. Fairness
Are the PTO’s processes sufficient to ensure procedural fairness for both parties?
Does the PTO’s decision-making prioritise what is fair and reasonable in the circumstances?
4. Accountability
Does the PTO publish sufficient information about its complaint handling to ensure that the community is aware of the work of the PTO and the outcomes achieved?
5. Efficiency
Do the PTO’s complaint handling procedures facilitate timely resolution of disputes?
6. Effectiveness
Are the PTO’s case handling procedures effective for meeting the needs of complainants and members when resolving disputes?
Is the PTO effectively identifying and responding to systemic issues and contributing to system wide improvements?
7. Governance
Is the PTO’s approach to governance and board representation still fit for purpose given the increase in the number of PTO members?
8. Privacy
Does the PTO demonstrate a commitment to privacy and is the PTO handling privacy complaints appropriately?
What is the scope of consultation for the Review?
The Review process includes consultation with PTO members; the Department of Transport and Planning; community and advocacy groups with an interest in public transport; and a representative sampling of recent users of the PTO service. It will also include a review of documented PTO processes, policies and other internal records.
Who is conducting the Review?
The PTO Board has engaged cameron. ralph. khoury to conduct the Review.
What are the outcomes of the Review process?
CRK will provide the PTO Board with a Final Report and recommendations. CRK expects to deliver its Final Report to the Ombudsman and PTO Board in late November 2024. The PTO Board will provide a public response to those recommendations.
Independent PTO Scheme Reviews were previously conducted in 2019, 2014 and 2009.
How can I contact the Independent Reviewer?
If you have any questions or would like to discuss your experience of the PTO’s service with the Independent Reviewer, please contact Phil Khoury at
The Public Transport Ombudsman respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we operate our services. We pay our respects to the ongoing living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and to Elders past and present.