MTA Images

Page last modified/checked: Friday, 4 October 2002

At the beginning of June 1982, only two months after the State election, the Transport Ministry released details of Victoria's new transport set-up. The eight existing "tired and worn out authorities" would be replaced by four new authorities from the 1st July 1983. Public transport would come under the umbrella of the State Transport Authority (STA). Its country rail and bus operators were launched on 11th August 1983 under the banner "V/LINE". The sister administration for the Melbourne area was the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). It would be responsible for:

* The operation of Metropolitan rail passenger services,
* Trams and Tramway buses,
* Control of private bus lines,
* Regulation of taxis

The MTA would be overseen by a chief executive, adopt a common livery for Government operated vehicles and offer a unified ticketing system for all modes of transport.

The launch of the new Authority at Museum station on 1st July, 1983.
The trains grey front surround was soon repainted yellow.
(MTA photo)

The new livery applied to a Z 3 class tram, quite a contrast to the marigold and brown
which had made them distinguishable.
(Biscay postcard)

It took some years to progressively repaint the orange tramway buses into the new livery.
(From 1983/84 MTA Annual Report)

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