This bulletin is a guideline only.  At all times the appropriate legislation currently in force takes precedence.

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

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

Eligibility will be determined by assessing an operator’s performance in the past year in relation to the number of Major and Minor Defect notices issued in respect to vehicles operated by applicants.

Once approved, the entire fleet of an operator will immediately transfer to the Annual Bus Maintenance Scheme.  All vehicle inspection timeframes will be moved forward six (6) calendar months at the commencement of the scheme.

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

·         Audit of Passenger Transport Operator Accreditation Scheme (PTOAS) maintenance module by an approved auditor, covering the first three years.  Further audits as required per (PTOS) requirements

·         Annual inspection of buses by Transport Inspectors (including random inspections)

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

It is proposed that the new scheme will commence in early 2006.  However, operators may apply to move to the new scheme now.  The following information 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

Contact:         Vehicle Operations Branch                                    Tasmanian Bus Association

6233 5198, or                                                                 www.tasbus.com.au

6233 5396

Part 1

1.      Accredited Operators must have a proven operational vehicle maintenance system in place.

(a) No more than 20% of inspections conducted that have resulted in a Minor Defect Notice being issued in the immediately preceding 12 month period (ie 25 vehicles * 2 inspections @ 20% = 10 vehicles issued with a minor defect).

 (b) No Major Defect Notices issued to a LPV under their control in the previous 12-month period.

2.         (a) If a vehicle that has been issued with a 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 has 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 defect issued in the immediately preceding 12 month period to their vehicle does not meet the “reasons for rejection” in the subsequently issued Heavy Vehicle Inspection Manual 2004.

Part 2

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

Transport Inspectors will inspect each bus once a year.

The two-part maintenance audit will require a maintenance systems audit as per the Passenger Transport Operator Accreditation Scheme (PTOAS), Maintenance Module, each year for the first three years and random inspections by Transport Inspectors as detailed below:

Note:  Please 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.  The cost of these additional audits are  normally covered by the Department.  For example the year that an operators normal PTOAS audit falls due the Maintenance Module component to that audit will be sufficient.

Random Inspections

1.      Random Inspection 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 will 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, i.e. 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 a DIER approved inspection site for further inspection.

§          May be subject to a systems 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 (i.e. 25 vehicles @ 20% = 5 vehicles);

§         May be requested to present all vehicles under their control to a DIER approved inspection site for further inspection.

§         May be subject to a systems 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).

5.      Annual Maintenance Module audit requirement for the first 3 years, thereafter as per Passenger Transport Operator Accreditation Scheme (PTOAS) audit requirements.

Annual Bus Maintenance Audit

1.      Must present the LPV to a Department of Infrastructure Energy and Resources (DIER) approved inspection site for the Annual Maintenance Audit (vehicle brake roller tested).

2.      Bus operators who are found to have a vehicle with a Major Defect as a result of a annual bus inspection may be referred to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles (RMV) with the recommendation that the operator is removed from the Annual Inspection Scheme.

3.      Bus operators with more than 20% of vehicles inspected (see Table 2) issued with Minor Defects as a result of an annual bus inspection may be referred to the RMV with the recommendation that the operator is removed from the Annual Inspection Scheme.

Annual Bus Maintenance Random Inspection

1.      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.

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

Part 3