Authorised Officers may inspect passengers' tickets, including where a passenger has just left a public transport vehicle or a station. It is a passenger's responsibility to ensure they are travelling with a valid ticket at all times.
Where an Authorised Officer believes that a person has committed an offence, they may request that the person state their name and address, and provide evidence of identity, including concession identification. People generally must comply with these requests.
Before requesting a person's name and address, the Authorised Officer should explain, in terms that the person can comprehend, that they have formed a reasonable belief that the person has committed, or is about to commit, an offence.
A person's name and address details can be verified by means such as:
Police verification may be required where a person cannot produce other verification, or chooses not to provide verification. Police verification may result in the person being arrested until police arrive and their details are confirmed.
Authorised Officers are not permitted to search any of a person's bags or belongings for any purpose, including when verifying a name and address.
If a passenger produces a ticket and an Authorised Officer doesn't believe it is valid for the journey undertaken, the Officer may confiscate the ticket as evidence of an offence. A receipt will be provided to the passenger and a travel permit issued to allow the passenger to complete their journey. The confiscated ticket may be returned to the passenger by DoT after any infringement notice or related proceeding is finalised.
Authorised Officers may arrest a person as a last resort. To arrest a person, an Authorised Officer must believe on reasonable grounds that the arrest is necessary:
Before arresting a person the Authorised Officer must, where possible, provide a statement of consequences, explaining that if they refuse to comply with a request they will be arrested. When arresting the person, the Authorised Officer must advise them, where possible, that they are under arrest, the reasons for the arrest and how the situation will be resolved. Next steps may include the person complying with a request, for example, through providing information or verification as requested, or police attending the location.
Authorised Officers may remove a person from a train, tram, bus, or public transport property if they believe the person is a danger or annoyance to the public, or hindering a member of the police force, an Authorised Officer or a transport operator employee.
