Bus operator accreditation, state by state
Every state runs its own scheme, and three of them already require a daily pre-trip record per bus. The record sets are similar: a pre-trip check with the person, date, bus and result; defects recorded and cleared; inspection and service schedules; and a retention period. Escudo Fleet keeps records of the kind Queensland PT 208 and the Victorian MMS describe, and keeps every record while your account is open.
New South Wales: BOAS
Auditors sample three years of maintenance records, six-monthly HVIS inspection records and major defect notices, and test the operator’s system for recording and actioning driver reported faults and whether they were rectified. An annual self-assessment is required.
Victoria: Bus Safety Act 2009 and Safe Transport Victoria
A single accreditation since March 2022 with a Maintenance Management System required. A pre-trip inspection before the first passenger-carrying trip each operating day, recording the person, date, bus and result against a checklist. A bus must not operate with identified defects. Safety inspections at the manufacturer’s interval or three months, 20,000 km for buses under five years old or 10,000 km for older ones. Defects found in service recorded and reported. Records kept in English for at least three years, with an internal audit each year. School buses must be inspected before the first passenger trip each day with a record kept.
Queensland: TO(PT) Act and PT 208 (July 2025)
Records kept at least five years. Daily vehicle inspections evidenced by the completed pre-trip checklist or a record that the check was done on each vehicle. Defects recorded with type, when found, who found it, the action taken, when cleared and, as recommended, who cleared it. Electronic or paper records are acceptable. Trip records carry the driver’s name and authorisation number.
Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia
Similar record sets under state accreditation: a pre-departure checklist, a daily inspection record, a fault and clearance report and a vehicle register. The detail for these three states is unverified in our research, so confirm it with your regulator before relying on it. No daily check rule was found for WA omnibus licensing.
Summarised from public sources on 13 October 2026. Not legal advice. Check the current rule with your regulator or adviser before relying on it.
What Escudo Fleet keeps for this
- A pre-trip per bus per operating day with person, date, bus and result, signed by the driver
- Defects with type, when found, who found it, the action taken, when cleared and who cleared it
- Trip records with the driver’s name, and the authorisation number on the driver’s record
- Safety inspection and service schedules by distance or date, with the records of each
- Every record kept while your account is open, exported as PDF or spreadsheet. If you set a retention period it is never less than 3 years, or 5 for a Queensland passenger operator
Escudo Fleet keeps records of the kind these schemes describe and keeps them while your account is open. It is not accredited by any state scheme and does not guarantee an audit outcome. Your accredited manager and your auditor decide what satisfies the scheme.
Fleets this applies to
- Bus and coach: School buses, route services, charter and coach operators.
Related
- HVNL and Chain of Responsibility: The primary duty, executive due diligence and what changed on 1 August 2026.
- NHVAS and Heavy Vehicle Accreditation: The daily check minimum items, fault handling, servicing, the register and retention.
Keep the record from the first day of the trial
Create your fleet, paste your registrations, print the tags and send a driver the link. Fourteen days free, no card and no hardware.