Bus services in Australia?

[Vitalstatistix]

What is the process regarding the contracting of routes in Australia for urban services? Does it work like a local government like council tendering services for the cheapest price? Or do things vary from state to state? It also opens up another question for me. What is a government bus? Does this mean the bus is run, owned, contracted or subsidised in anyway?
Many thanks.

[shovelyjoe]

I personally don't know much at all about bus tendering outside of Sydney. But I do know that things vary from state to state. In Sydney it isn't done by price as the companies don't charge the government a price of their choosing - the government pays companies a standard rate based on kilometers run. I assume the government decides between bus companies based on fleet, customer feedback etc.

A government bus (at least in NSW) is a bus that is operated by a government-owned company. If the bus is government-owned but operated by a private company I believe that is classified as a private bus.

[robert]

I personally don't know much at all about bus tendering outside of Sydney. But I do know that things vary from state to state. In Sydney it isn't done by price as the companies don't charge the government a price of their choosing - the government pays companies a standard rate based on kilometers run. I assume the government decides between bus companies based on fleet, customer feedback etc.

A government bus (at least in NSW) is a bus that is operated by a government-owned company. If the bus is government-owned but operated by a private company I believe that is classified as a private bus.

In regard to ordinary route services in NSW, I don't think that is quite right. As I understand it, since the changes to the Passenger Transport Act amendments about 5 years ago, the Government assumed responsibility for funding private bus services. As a result, the NSW Transport & Infrastructure Department negotiated new contracts with existing operators in each of the 11 geographical regions where private buses operate in the metropolitan area. The result of the negotiations was that a rate per kilometre was arrived at for each contract, which is added to other elements of the funding package to arrive at the total remuneration to each operator. As part of the contract, fares collected on private buses are paid to the Government.

Another aspect of all (or most?) contracts is that the Government buys buses for pirvate operators. But, as Arran suggested, even though the Government owns them, they are regarded as private buses as private operators run and maintain them.