Annual Inspections

Summary

The Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources (DIER) in consultation with Tasmanian bus industry representatives have developed a voluntary Annual Bus Inspection and Maintenance Scheme for accredited operators.

The scheme is designed to reduce the number of mandatory bus inspections from twice (2) yearly, to yearly (1) for these operators.

Eligibility will be determined by assessing an operator’s performance in the previous year in relation to the number of Non-Conformance Inspection Failures or Non-Conformance Critical Inspection Failures (as issued by an Authorised Inspection Station), or Major and Minor Defect notices (as issued by a Transport Inspector or a Police Officer) in respect to their vehicle(s).

Once approved, the entire fleet of an operator will transfer to the Annual Bus Inspection Scheme. All vehicle inspection intervals will be moved from 6 to 12 months.

Operators who are approved to move to this scheme will be required to undertake a two-part audit process:

  • An audit of the Passenger Transport Operator Accreditation Scheme (PTOAS) Maintenance Management and Roadworthiness module (MM) by an approved auditor, each year for the first three years. If an audit of this module is to be carried out during this period as part of the operators’ PTOAS scheduled audit program, that audit would suffice for that particular year. Future audits after the three years are as per DIER PTOAS requirements.
  • Annual scheduled inspection of buses by an Authorised Inspection Station. Random inspections may also be undertaken by Transport Inspectors.

Note*: Operators will only be required to undertake one Maintenance Module Audit in any one year unless the Department identifies any system faults that may require a random audit.

Full details of the scheme are available from Transport Operator Accreditation upon request, or from the internet site of the Tasmanian Bus Association at www.tasbus.com.au

This document contains:

  • Part 1: How to assess your operator performance for the previous 12 months
  • Part 2: Annual Bus Maintenance Scheme Performance Standards
  • Part 3: Application Form for admittance to the Scheme.

Contacts:

DIER Vehicle Operations Branch - Ph: 6233 5376 or 6233 5396, or Fax: 6233 5210

Tasmanian Bus Association: - Ph: 6423 2611

Part 1

An Operators performance in the immediately preceding 12 months will be assessed by the Department in line with the following criteria.

1. Accredited Operators must have a proven operational vehicle maintenance system in place – that is;

(a) No more than 20% of inspections conducted in the immediately preceding 12 month period resulting in either a Non-Conformance Inspection Failure (as issued by an Authorised Inspection Station) or a Minor Defect Notice (as issued by a Transport Inspector or a Police Officer) -

- (ie 25 vehicles, 2 inspections each @ 20% = 10 non-conformances / minor defect notices issued).

(b) No Non-Conformance Critical Inspection Failures (as issued by an Authorised Inspection Station) or Major Defect Notices (as issued by a Transport Inspector or a Police Officer) issued to a vehicle under their control in the previous 12-month period. Either of these will disqualify the operator from applying for the Scheme.

2.(a) If a vehicle has been issued with a Non-Conformance Inspection Failure or defect notice relating to a brake imbalance detected on a brake roller tester, the operator can apply to have the circumstances relating to the defect reviewed if they can demonstrate that the brake imbalance could not have reasonably been detected without access to a brake roller tester.

(b) Operators who do not meet the above requirements for a 12-month period, but have made changes to their service and maintenance system that have resulted in a significant reduction in the number of defect notices being issued in the previous 6-month period, may apply to have their performance reviewed.

(c) Operators that believe a non-conformance or a defect issued in the immediately preceding 12 month period to their vehicle does not meet the “reasons for rejection” in the DIER Heavy Vehicle Inspection Manual may also apply to have their performance reviewed.

Part 2

Annual Bus Maintenance Scheme Performance Standards

The scheme is designed to reduce the frequency of mandatory bus inspections from six monthly to yearly, with a two-part maintenance audit process.

Operators who are approved to move to this scheme will be required to undertake a two-part audit process:

  • An audit of the Passenger Transport Operator Accreditation Scheme (PTOAS) Maintenance Management and Roadworthiness module (MM) by an approved auditor, each year for the first three years*. If an audit of this module is to be carried out during this period as part of the operators’ full PTOAS scheduled audit, that full PTOAS audit would suffice for that particular year. Future audits after the three years are as required per PTOAS requirements. Operators should consult their PTOAS accreditation manual.
  • Annual scheduled inspection of buses by an Authorised Inspection Station. Random inspections may also be undertaken by Transport Inspectors.
  • Note*: Operators will only be required to undertake one Maintenance Module Audit in any one year unless the Department identifies any system faults that may require a random audit.

Replacement of Vehicles

Approved operators must notify DIER on 6233 5396 when they replace or sell a vehicle previously used under the Scheme to an operator not approved to the Scheme. Vehicles transferring to operators NOT approved to the Scheme DO NOT continue on an annual inspection interval.

Random Inspections by Transport Inspectors

1. Any random inspections of buses will be undertaken without passengers on board.

2. No notice of intention to conduct a random inspection will be provided.

3. Transport Inspectors may conduct random inspections of an accredited operators fleet during each 12-month period. Random sampling in quality control is the square root of the number of vehicles plus one, ie 25 vehicles would result in a minimum of 6 random inspections in a 12-month period, (this will apply to operators with a bus fleet of 9 or more). The remaining operators with a bus fleet of 8 or less will be at 33%.

4. (a) Bus operators who are found to have a vehicle with a Major Defect as a result of a random inspection that can be reasonably attributed to a maintenance failure:

  • May be requested to present all vehicles under their control to an authorised inspection station for further inspection.
  • May be subject to a triggered maintenance compliance audit.
  • May be removed from the annual bus maintenance scheme.

(This provision will not limit the powers of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles under s. 50 of the Vehicle and Traffic Act 1999, Production of Vehicles for Inspection).

(b) Bus operators with more than 20% of vehicles issued with a Minor Defect as a result of a random inspection that can reasonably be attributed to maintenance failure (ie 25 vehicles @ 20% = 5 vehicles);

  • May be requested to present all vehicles under their control to an authorised inspection station for further inspection.
  • May be subject to a triggered maintenance compliance audit.
  • May be removed from the annual bus maintenance scheme.

(This provision will not limit the powers of the Registrar of Motor Vehicles under s. 50 of the Vehicle and Traffic Act 1999, Production of Vehicles for Inspection).

Transport Inspectors will provide a written report (Inspection Report, Defect Notice), including photographs of a maintenance failure that results in a major defect being issued.

If a bus operator wishes to dispute the issuing of a defect to one of their vehicles they must notify DIER in writing within 7 days and before the defect is repaired/cleared.

Annual Bus Inspections

  • Annual Maintenance Module audit requirement for the first 3 years, thereafter as per Passenger Transport Operator Accreditation Scheme (PTOAS) audit requirements.
  • An operator must present the bus to a Department of Infrastructure Energy and Resources (DIER) approved inspection station for the annual bus inspection, where the vehicle will be brake-roller tested. A listing of AIS can be found here.
  • Bus operators who are found to have a vehicle with a Non-Conformance Critical Inspection Failure as a result of a annual bus inspection may be referred to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles (RMV) with the recommendation that the operator be removed from the Annual Inspection Scheme.
  • Bus operators with more than 20% of vehicles inspected (see Table 1) issued with Non-Conformance Inspection Failure as a result of an annual bus inspection may be referred to the RMV with the recommendation that the operator be removed from the Annual Inspection Scheme.