Application process for bus accreditation

Supporting documents

You must provide the following attachments as part of your application. TSV cannot assess your application unless you provide all attachments.
Failure to provide any of these attachments will result in delays to or refusal of your accreditation. Original documents will be returned.

Evidence of capacity

• A copy of your Management Information System (MIS).

AND

• A copy of your Maintenance Management System (MMS).

National police certificate/s

You must obtain Victoria Police national police checks, not federal police checks.

• Individual applicant - an original national police check certificate (from Victoria Police) for the individual applicant.
• For all other applicants - an original national police check certificate (from Victoria Police) for each relevant person.

Roadworthy certificate/s

• For each bus to be operated under the service, a copy of the current roadworthy certificate issued by a licensed vehicle tester authorised by VicRoads to test buses. Visit the VicRoads website for more information about roadworthy certificates.

Business documents

(not applicable to individual applicants)

Note: Corporations Act refers to the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

For a body corporate which is a company within the meaning of the Corporations Act

• A copy of the certificate of incorporation; and
• A list of the names of all directors of the company, current as at the date of application.

For a body corporate other than a company within the meaning of the Corporations Act

• A copy of the certificate of incorporation or registration or a copy of the document creating or evidencing the existence of the body corporate or, for Government authorities or organisations incorporated under legislation, a letter on a letterhead stating the name of the legislation under which they are incorporated).; and
• A list of the names of all directors and/or office bearers of the body corporate, current as at the date of application.

For an unincorporated association or body

• A copy of the certificate of business name or other document creating or evidencing the existence of the unincorporated body or association. For example a certificate of registration, a printed extract from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) website.
• A list of the names of all members of the committee of management of the unincorporated association or body, current as at the date of application.

For a partnership

• A copy of the partnership agreement; and
• A list of the names of each of the partners of the partnership, current as at the date of application.

Proof of identification

Certified copies of proof of ID documents for the individual applicant or for all other applicants, the responsible person nominated in your application.

One primary ID document from the list below:

• Current Australian state/territory driver’s licence containing a photograph of the person.
• Australian passport (current or expired within the preceding 2 years).
• Card issued by a state or territory for the purpose of providing a person’s age containing a photograph of the person.
• Foreign passport or similar travel document containing a photograph and signature of the person.

OR

Two secondary ID documents (one from each list below)

One of these:

• Australian birth certificate.
• Australian citizenship certificate.
• National identity card issued by a foreign government containing a photograph of the person in whose name the card was issued.

And one of these:

• A document issued by a local government body or utilities provider within the preceding three months showing the persons name and current residential address (e.g. rates notice or gas/ electricity bill).
• Pension card issued by Centrelink.
• Health card issued by Centrelink.
• A document issued by the Australian Taxation Office within the preceding 12 months that records a debt payable by the person to the Commonwealth (or by the Commonwealth to the person) which contains the person’s name and current residential address (e.g. Notice of Assessment).
• A document issued by the Commonwealth or a state or territory within the preceding 12 months that records the provision of financial benefits to the person and which contains the person’s name and current residential address (e.g. bank statement).
• Foreign driver’s licence that contains a photograph of the person in whose name it was issued and that person’s date of birth.

Copies of all identification documents must be certified. The person who is authorised to certify documents must sight the original and the copy and make sure both documents are identical. For each page of the documents, they must write or stamp ‘certified true copy’, followed by their signature, printed name, qualification (e.g. justice of the peace) and the date.

Persons that can certify documents include:

• a justice of the peace
• a notary public officer
• a police officer
• a chemist
• a permanent employee of Australia Post with five or more years of continuous service
• a finance company officer with five or more years of continuous service (with one or more finance companies)
• an officer with, or authorised representative of, a holder of an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL), having five or more years continuous service with one or more licensees
• an Australian consular officer or an Australian diplomatic officer
• a judge of a court or a magistrate
• a registrar or deputy registrar of a court
• a chief executive officer of a Commonwealth court.

Non-English documents. Any proof of identification documents not written in English must be accompanied by an English translation prepared by an accredited translator.

Fees and payment

Once you have submitted your application for bus operator accreditation, an invoice will be generated and sent to your nominated email address for payment of the fee.

Refer to our bus accreditation fees page for the current application fee and available payment methods.

Bus service type

When asked what type of bus service you intend to operate, please choose:

A commercial bus service (specify which type/s)

• Route
• Demand responsive
• Tour and charter
• Courtesy

OR

A local bus service

Not sure which to choose? Refer to the types of bus service page.

Bus service details

When asked for your proposed bus service details, please include:

• A description of the service including days/hours of operation, geographical locations covered (suburbs), the type of patrons (general public, wedding parties, sporting groups etc.)
• Whether or not passengers are charged a fee to use the service.
• How many buses are to be operated.

Environment type

When applying for accreditation, you will be asked to describe the type of environment where the bus service will operate.
You must choose at least one.

Note: A built-up area is where there are buildings and/or houses next to the road or there is street lighting at intervals not over 100 metres apart for a distance of 500 metres or more.

Environment1 (E1) – Built-up areas, high population density, low speeds, shorter journeys.

Environment 2 (E2) – Outside built-up areas, lower population density, higher speeds; longer journeys; narrow and or undivided roads; hazards such as livestock, wildlife, trees close to the road; heavy vehicle traffic at higher speeds.

Environment 3 (E3) – Outside built-up areaswith extreme risk factors e.g. long steep roads with precipitous drop offs; high volumes of heavy vehicle traffic at high speeds; narrow, unsealed, winding, undivided roads; blackspots, climate conditions such as fog, snow and ice.

Refusing bus operator accreditation

Accreditation may be refused if the applicant or relevant person:

• Has been found guilty of a tier 1 offence
• Has previously had accreditation cancelled
• Is insolvent, in receivership, under administration or winding up.

Application form

Once you have read the above information, download the form:

Bus operator application accreditation
DOCX, 111.9 KB