The Public Transport Ombudsman has rules, guidelines and benchmarks that we follow to ensure that we are independent, fair and effective. You can read about them here.
Our Charter
The rules about what we do and how we do it are largely set out in our Charter. Our Charter sets out our jurisdiction and functions, as well as the powers and responsibilities of the Ombudsman.
The PTO Charter was last revised in June 2013.
You can read our Charter here.
The Benchmarks
We also comply with the Benchmarks for Industry-based Customer Dispute Resolution (the Benchmarks) which were published by the Federal Government in 1997 and reviewed in 2015.
The Benchmarks were created to encourage best practice in external dispute resolution schemes like the PTO. The Benchmarks are central to our day to day work, as well as our long term and strategic planning.
The six Benchmarks are:
- Accessibility
- Independence
- Fairness
- Accountability
- Efficiency
- Effectiveness
The Benchmarks are supported by the Key Practices for Industry-based Customer Dispute Resolution (Key Practices) which set out practical ways in which we can implement the Benchmarks.
You can read about the Benchmarks here and the Key Practices under the Benchmarks here.
Independent reviews of the PTO
The operations of the PTO are reviewed every five years by an independent party. The review looks at the effectiveness of the PTO as well our compliance with the Benchmarks.
2019 Review
The most recent independent review of the PTO was undertaken in 2019 by the Consumer Dispute Resolution Centre at Queen Margaret University Edinburgh. The Ombudsman and the Chair of the PTO Board responded to the review. You can read the review report and the PTO response:
2019 Independent Review of PTO Queen Margaret University
PTO Board response to 2019 Scheme Review
2014 Review
An independent review was undertaken by CameronRalph Navigator in October 2014. The Ombudsman and the Chair of the PTO Board responded to the review. You can read the review report and the PTO response:
Cameron Ralph Navigator Report 2014
2009 Review
The PTO was independently reviewed by The Navigator Company in April 2009. The Ombudsman and the Chair of the PTO Board responded to the review. You can read the 2009 review report and the PTO response:
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.