New South Wales Public Transport Commission
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The Public Transport Commission (PTC) was a state government agency responsible for the provision of rail, bus and ferry services in New South Wales, Australia between 1972 and 1980.
[edit] History
The PTC was created in 1972 by the merger of the New South Wales Government Railways and the New South Wales Department of Government Transport (which operated government bus services).[1] In 1974, ferries were added to its responsibility when the services of the private harbour ferry companies, particularly the assets of the former Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company, were assumed by the government.
The first Chief Commissioner of the PTC was Mr Phillip Shirley, a former chairman of Cunard Liners in the UK, who came out of retirement to take up the position. He was also involved with the infamous Beeching era in the UK. His ruthless cost-cutting approach led to heated critisism from the public and the State Opposition, to the point where Mr Shirley retired early from the post during 1975. His successor, until the PTC was disbanded in 1980, was Mr Alan Reiher. Upon the break-up of the PTC, Mr Reiher became chairman of VicRail.
The PTC was broken up in 1980 into the State Rail Authority and Urban Transit Authority.
The Public Transport Commission instituted the blue and white livery on government buses and ferries, which survives on buses in a modified form to this day, and a short-lived blue and white livery on Sydney suburban trains. The double arrow logo was also too close to being a virtual copy of British Rail's.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Public Transport Commission, NSW State Records.
| Preceded by New South Wales Government Railways |
Railway Commissions in New South Wales  1972-1980 |
Succeeded by State Rail Authority of New South Wales |
