The Public Transport Commission (PTC) was an agency of the Government of New South Wales responsible for the provision of rail, bus and ferry services in New South Wales, Australia from October 1972 until June 1980.

Upon dissolution, responsibility for rail services transferred to the State Rail Authority and responsibility for bus and ferry services to the Urban Transit Authority.

The PTC, composed of five Commissioners appointed by the Governor of New South Wales, was accountable to the Minister for Transport.

Structure

The PTC was established pursuant to the and led to the abolition of the offices of Commissioner for Railways and Commissioner for Public Transport.Single Authority Planned for Public Transport in NSW Railway Transportation March 1972 pages 3, 10One body to run public transport Truck & Bus Transportation March 1972 page 127

The Act facilitated the merger of the Department of Railways and the Department of Government Transport, the latter being the agency that operated government bus services in Sydney and Newcastle. In December 1974, the dissolved the Sydney Harbour Transport Board and ferries were added to PTC's responsibility.Sydney Harbour Transport Board NSW State Records This coincided with government also taking over the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company ferries.

In June 1980, the PTC was dissolved with the State Rail Authority assuming responsibility for rail services and the Urban Transit Authority responsibility for bus and ferry services through the enactment of the .Complete Re-organization of Public Transport in New South Wales Network July 1980 page 7Here & There Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 514 August 1980 page 57

Management

The Public Transport Commission consisted of five commissioners appointed by the Governor of New South Wales, two of whom were nominated by the Minister for Transport. Two of the Commissioners were full-time one of these was appointed by the Governor as Chief Commissioner. The Commission acquired the assets and liabilities of the former commissioners, were bound by current agreements or contracts, and were responsible for the completion of business commenced by them. The Commission inherited the functions of the previous Commissioners as prescribed in the and the .

The first Chief Commissioner of the PTC was Philip Shirley, a former chairman of Cunard, who came out of retirement to take up the position. Shirley had been involved with the Beeching cuts being vice chairman of the British Railways Board in his native United Kingdom in the 1960s. His cost-cutting approach was criticised by sections of the public, trade unions and the parliamentary opposition. Shirley retired in 1975, two years before his commission was due to conclude. His successor, until the PTC was disbanded in 1980, was Alan Reiher. Upon the dissolution of the PTC, Reiher became chairman of VicRail.Railway History in Victoria 1950 - now Australian Railway Historical Society Victorian Division

Chief Commissioners #CommissionerTermTime in officeNotes 1 Philip Shirley 20 October 1972 – 1 December 1975 2 Alan Reiher 20 April 1976 – 19 March 1980 Top NSW transport man quits Canberra Times 21 March 1980 page 7Vacant to 30 June 1980, succeeded by CEO State Rail Authority and CEO Urban Transit Authority

Deputy Chief Commissioners CommissionerTermTime in officeNotes Joshua Trimmer 12 December 1974 – 28 September 1979 Jack Davies 28 September 1979 – 30 June 1980 Commissioners Full-time CommissionerTermTime in officeNotes Dr Robert Nielsen 20 October 1972 – 31 December 1973 Joshua Trimmer 20 October 1972 – 12 December 1974 Eric Archer 1 January 1974 – 15 January 1974 Eugene Gordon 13 June 1974 – 30 June 1980 Nominated CommissionerTermTime in officeNotes Barrie Unsworth20 October 1972 – 19 October 1975 Reginald Watson Edington Byrne20 October 1975 – 19 October 1979 Ralph Marsh David Hill 12 November 1979 – 30 June 1980 267 days Eric Lyndon 21 May 1980 – 30 June 1980

Activities

A mandarin blue and riviera white livery was introduced on buses, suburban electric trains and ferries while freight wagons were painted in a teal blue livery.New colour scheme for Sydney transport Network December 1972 page 2New Livery for Government-owned Transport Fleet Railway Transportation December 1972 page 10"20 Years Ago" Railway Digest November 1992 page 442 The livery earnt an affectionate nickname; "Shirley Blue" after the first Chef Commissioner Phillip Shirley. From November 1976, trains reverted to Tuscan red while ferries would revert to their Tuscan and green liveries in the 1980s.Blue & White Suburban Cars Railway Digest May 1977 page 105 In November 1979, a modified livery for locomotives was introduced with the colours on the Tuscan and yellow painted ends reverted.New Colour Scheme for Locomotives Railway Digest February 1980 page 47The Yellow End Paint Scheme Railway Digest May 1984 pages 76-78

The original logo had the letters NSW with arrows pointing east and west. It was replaced in 1975 by the L7 logo.PTC Logo Changes Railway Digest April 1975 page 6New symbol for PTC Network May 1975 page 4 It would continue to be used, albeit with different colours, on buses and ferries until 1989 and on trains until 2010.

In June 1974, the PTC took over the operation of Bowden's Bus Service route 79 from the Town Hall to Tamarama.Private Route Goes Electric Traction July 1974 page 12 In September 1975, the PTC began operating Denning coaches out of Dubbo when the Far West Express was replaced.Super Coaches for NSW Network September 1975 page 4Country rail branch lines now served by coaches Truck & Bus Transportation October 1975 page 130

While best remembered as an era of cutbacks, investment was made during the tenure of the Public Transport Commission with the following ordered: 312 Leyland Leopard buses 750 Mercedes-Benz O305 buses 359 Comeng built S set double deck suburban carriagesEMU Review Railway Digest March 1985 150 A Goninan & Co built S set double deck suburban carriages 30 V set double deck interurban carriagesRostering Electric Interurban Trains Railway Digest January 1985 10 FAM sleeper carriages 30 80 class diesel locomotives 10 85 class electric locomotives various modern bulk freight wagons More than 1,000 RACE containers suitable for the Australia standard pallets 2 Lady class ferries (Street & Herron)

Publication The PTC published an in-house journal, Transport News, with the first edition published in November 1972.Transport News State Archives

See also Railways in Sydney Rail transport in New South Wales Timeline of Sydney Harbour ferries

References