Invitation to provide feedback
Members of the general public, and the PTO’s industry, government and community stakeholders, are invited to provide feedback on the Public Transport Ombudsman (PTO) Scheme to Independent Scheme Reviewer cameron. ralph. khoury.
Under the PTO Constitution, the role and effectiveness of the PTO Scheme must be reviewed by an independent third party every five years. The purpose of these 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.
Individuals or organisations who wish to provide feedback to the Review can do so by providing written submissions to the Independent Reviewer at
Your feedback should consider and respond to the Review’s eight (8) primary areas of inquiry. Respondents are invited to provide feedback on as many, or as few, of these areas of inquiry as they wish. Respondents are also welcome to raise issues outside of these specific areas. The deadline for feedback is COB Friday 23rd August 2024.
Primary areas of inquiry
The Review will assess the PTO’s operation in accordance with the key practices associated with the six Benchmarks for Industry-based Customer Dispute Resolution. These are areas of inquiry 1 to 6. The Review will also assess the PTO’s approach to governance and privacy. These are areas of inquiry 7 and 8.
The purpose of the questions listed under each area of inquiry is to simply act as a guide and prompt for respondents’ feedback. You are welcome to provide any information you believe is relevant to these areas of inquiry.
It would greatly assist the Reviewer if respondents could provide actual examples of the issues they are raising. If you wish to include individuals’ personal details in any example you provide (which can assist the Reviewer to examine the matter) the Reviewer will maintain strict confidentiality and will redact these details from a published submission.
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?
Key questions about the PTO Scheme Review 2024
What is the scope of consultation for the PTO Scheme Review 2024?
The Review process will include 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 on 03 9421 3111 or at
The Public Transport Ombudsman respectfully acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we operate our services. We pay our respects to the ongoing living cultures of Aboriginal peoples, and to Elders past, present and future.