Jan’s complaint
Jan* wasn’t getting accurate service information from the PTV app, which meant he couldn’t make alternate travel plans when he needed to.
Jan gets a bus to work. He works set shifts, so his pay gets docked if he’s late.
Jan was in the habit of checking PTV’s website to see if his bus was running late or had been cancelled. That way, if he needed to, he could plan another way to get to work on time.
Lately, Jan’s bus had been running very late or not showing up at all. PTV’s website wasn’t showing these disruptions to service.
Jan complained to the bus company, who told Jan that a temporary shortage of drivers and buses was causing the cancellations and delays. They suggested that Jan download the PTV app to help him plan his commute while the problem got resolved.
Why did Jan complain to the PTO?
Jan wasn’t happy with the bus company’s response. He tried using the PTV app, but it didn’t give him accurate information either.
How did we handle Jan’s complaint?
We asked the bus company to explain why Jan wasn’t getting accurate service information. We also asked them why Jan was experiencing significant delays and cancellations, and how they planned to fix the problem.
The bus company told us that it was the job of each bus depot to submit service cancellation data to PTV. This allows PTV to share this information through its digital channels.
The bus company acknowledged that Jan’s local depot hadn’t always submitted this data to PTV.
The bus company also confirmed that a shortage of drivers, as well as a shortage of parts needed to repair out-of-service buses, was causing cancellations and delays. To address these issues, they were in the process of training a new intake of drivers, putting another ten buses on the road, and reviewing their maintenance program to improve fleet reliability.
What was the outcome?
The bus company apologised to Jan and took corrective action to make sure all depots consistently shared service cancellation data with PTV.
Jan contacted us to say that his bus was running on time again, and that he was happy with the outcome of his complaint.
* Names and other identifying details have been changed
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.