Transport law

Transport law (or transportation law) is the area of law dealing with transport. The laws can apply very broadly at a transport system level or more narrowly to transport things or activities within that system such as vehicles, things and behaviours. Transport law is generally found in two main areas:

Parliaments
or made by other officials under delegation
Case law decided by courts

Legislation typically consists of statutes known as

judgments

, findings and rulings handed down by courts.

Transport system things and activities

Transport laws can apply at a global transport system-wide level. A transport system can encompass a wide range of matters which make up the system. These include -

heavy and light rail systems including associated land, infrastructure and rolling stock which comprise
light rail vehicles
arterial roads and paths

bicycles

ports and waterways
commercial
ships
and recreational vessels
air transport
systems and aircraft.

A transport system includes not only system infrastructure and conveyances, but also things like -

communication systems
and other technologies
strategic, business and operational plans
schedules, timetables and ticketing systems
safety systems
labour components
service components
government decision makers like
Ministers
, departments, authorities, corporations, agencies and other legal persons.

The

Victoria, Australia provides an example of the use of a broad statutory formulation to circumscribe the operation of a transport law in legislative form.^[1]

Individual components can be identified from this broad transport system formulation and then regulated discreetly. For example, a bus or a car forms part of a broad transport system but are commonly regulated on an individual basis in terms of identification (registration), control of the vehicle (driver licensing and drug and blood alcohol controls), vehicle forms and fittings (vehicle standards) and other safety requirements.

Examples of transport legislation

Victoria

again provides an example of a jurisdiction with a suite of transport legislation which operates both at transport system and modal or activity levels.

System level

The

Transport Integration Act

sets out the overall policy framework for transport in Victoria. It also establishes and sets the charters of the key government agencies which make decisions affecting the planning and operation of the State's transport system and each agency is required by the statute to have regard to the policy framework.

As a general rule, transport agencies and officials do not exist in their own right and have no existence or power without conferral from a transport law. Legislation is commonly required for this purpose. Transport decision makers and agencies established and/or empowered by the Transport Integration Act [2] include -

key government figures such as
Ministers
(currently the Minister for Public Transport, the Minister for Roads and the Minister for Ports)
a central government
Department of Transport (Victoria, 2019–)
- responsible for system-wide planning, integration and coordination
a public transport agency responsible for providing or regulating train, tram, light rail, bus and
Public Transport Development Authority
a road agency responsible for road construction and maintenance and vehicles and towing services regulation - the Roads Corporation (VicRoads)
agencies responsible for discrete parts of the rail system such as land, infrastructure and other assets (Victorian Rail Track (VicTrack)) and regional services (V/Line Corporation)
agencies responsible for ports and other waters - the Port of Melbourne Corporation, the Port of Hastings Development Authority, the Victorian Regional Channels Authority and local and other authorities
an independent transport safety regulator (
Director, Transport Safety) and independent safety investigator (the Chief Investigator, Transport Safety
)

The Transport Integration Act establishes these agencies and sets their statutory charters. The charters circumscribe the agencies' jurisdiction or power to operate in and to regulate their respective components of the transport system.

Mode or activity-based legislation

Victoria has a range of statutes which regulate transport modes and transport-related activities throughout the State. These include:

the Road Management Act 2004

the Road Safety Act 1986

the Rail Management Act 1996

the Bus Services Act 1995

the Accident Towing Services Act 2007
the Major Transport Projects Facilitation Act 2009
the Port Management Act 1995
the Marine Act 1988
the Tourist and Heritage Railways Act 2010

Case law and law from other sources

Areas of transport law governed by court decisions and other non transport statutes or laws include property law, contract law, torts law and specialist regulation governing the

shipping

.

References

^ Transport Integration Act 2010 - see www.legislation.vic.gov.au. See the definition of "transport system" in section 3 of the Act.
^ Transport Integration Act 2010 - see Parts 3, 5, 5A, 6, and 6A.

External links

Media related to Transport law at Wikimedia Commons

[1] Transport Integration Act 2010 - see www.legislation.vic.gov.au. See the definition of "transport system" in section 3 of the Act.

[2] Transport Integration Act 2010 - see Parts 3, 5, 5A, 6, and 6A.

[1]