Coronavirus information

Keeping everyone safe on public transport

Coronavirus information

Keeping everyone safe on public transport

Important

For coronavirus information including public transport exposure sites, visit the Coronavirus Victoria website or call the 24-hr dedicated hotline on 1800 675 398.

Important

For coronavirus information including public transport exposure sites, visit the Coronavirus Victoria website or call the 24-hr dedicated hotline on 1800 675 398.

Restrictions apply in metropolitan Melbourne

The current restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne have been extended until 23 September 2021. This includes the curfew from 9pm to 5am every night. The only reasons to leave home during the curfew are for authorised work, or urgent medical care and caregiving. Authorised workers must have a permit to travel. Outside of these reasons, you must stay at home.

The pause on Night Network public transport services between 1am to 5am on Saturday and 1am to 6am on Sunday has been extended to support the curfew in metropolitan Melbourne. This means that trains, trams, buses and V/Line night coaches will not run between 1am and 5am on Saturdays and between 1am and 6am on Sundays from Sunday 20 August.

A normal timetable will continue to run at all other times to ensure essential workers and those who must travel for a permitted reason can get where they need to go.

At all other times there will be only five reasons to leave your home - shopping for necessary goods and services, caregiving or compassionate reasons (including medical care or to get a COVID-19 test), authorised work (with a permit) or permitted education, exercise (once a day for 2 hours) or to get a COVID-19 vaccination (provided the distance travelled, and the time taken is no more than is necessary).

Exercise and shopping will be limited to five kilometres from your home. If there are no shops in your five-kilometre radius, you'll be able to travel to the ones closest to you. You can also leave home to visit an intimate partner of a single social bubble buddy outside of curfew hours or in an emergency.

Face masks will need to be worn indoors and outdoors - whenever you leave home.

During restrictions we will not be accepting cash on any of our services.

For the latest updates on restrictions, permits and exposure sites, visit the Coronavirus Victoria website.

Restrictions apply in regional Victoria

From 11.59pm on Thursday 9 September, the five reasons to leave the home will be removed in regional Victoria, except for the City of Ballarat. There will be no limit on the distance regional Victorians can travel from home - other than restrictions on entry to metropolitan Melbourne.

From 11.59pm on Wednesday 15 September, the City of Ballarat will enter the same restriction as metropolitan Melbourne. The curfew does not apply in Ballarat.

Face masks will continue to be required indoors and outdoors, apart from private residences, unless an exception applies.

The only reasons to travel from metropolitan Melbourne into regional Victoria are for authorised work or permitted education, medical care and care giving, to visit an intimate partner or single social buddy, and shopping for food and essential supplies (if is the closest facility to you) or to get vaccinated if it is your nearest location.

The same applies when travelling from regional Victoria to metropolitan Melbourne, and you must comply with metropolitan restrictions (including curfew) while in Melbourne.

Travel between metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria during curfew hours can only be undertaken for the following reasons - authorised work, health and medical purposes, care and support of a child or someone with special needs or in an emergency or to escape harm.

From Friday 10 September, there will be an increased enforcement presence and focus from Victoria Police, Protective Service Officers (PSOs)and Public Transport Authorised Officers across the public transport network to ensure everyone is doing the right thing. This includes monitoring of major transport hubs and interchanges to check that those travelling into regional Victoria is doing so for lawful reasons.

Anyone who is deliberately, obviously or blatantly flouting these travel restrictions faces a fine of $5452.

For the latest updates on restrictions, permits and exposure sites, visit the Coronavirus Victoria website

To stay safe, we’ve rolled out QR Codes at key locations

Please check in every time you see QR codes at stations and stops and while you travel on trains, trams and buses.

With QR codes installed at tram stops in the Free Tram Zone, Metro and V/Line stations and replacement bus stops (when operating), we are now commencing installing QR codes on every tram, train and bus.

Please check in every time you see QR codes at stations and stops and while you travel on trains, trams and buses. QR codes assist the Department of Health in contact tracing when there is a COVID public exposure site.

Visit Service Victoria for more information about how your data is being protected when using QR Codes.

Before you travel

Register your myki so we can contact you if you’ve travelled on a public transport service identified as a COVID-19 exposure site.

Please register your myki to help with contact tracing. You can register your myki online here, via the PTV app or by calling 1800 800 007, and registration is instant. You'll need your 15-digit myki number to register.

To check the latest exposure sites, visit the the Coronavirus Victoria website.

There are service changes affecting coach services that travel between Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. Plan ahead using our Journey planner, check our disruptions page or contact us on 1800 800 007 if you need help before you travel.

Wear a mask

You must wear a fitted face mask covering your nose and mouth on public transport - ensure you wear it for your entire journey.

Read more on wearing a face mask on public transport  and in commercial passenger vehicles such as taxis.

You can find out more about when and where you need to wear a face mask in Victoria and Melbourne on the Coronavirus Victoria website.

We encourage everyone to practise good hygiene when on public transport:

Wash your hands before and after you travel
If you are unwell, stay home and get tested
Keep your distance where you can
Respect the clearance zone around our drivers
Spread out along the platform and keep doorways clear

Travel advice and updates

Register your myki

Register your myki to help with contact tracing. You can register your myki online, via the PTV app if you have a myki account or by calling 1800 800 007, and registration is instant. You'll need your 15-digit myki number to register.

With a registered myki you can also protect your myki balance if the card is lost or stolen, check your travel history and manage mulitple myki cards in the one account.

Go cashless

During restrictions we will not be accepting cash on any of our services.

We have plenty of cashless ways to top up your myki, including on our website, via the PTV app or at your nearest station or stop. You can now instantly top up with myki Money on the PTV app using an NFC enabled device.

Auto top is a great option to support contactless travel. Set a minimum balance and your myki will automatically top up with the amount you choose.

Top up your myki online now

Man at home using his mobile phone to manage his myki_myki-page

Download the PTV app

Get access to public transport information, register your myki and top up with the PTV app.

Use Journey planner, view planned disruptions and set up push notifications to help you plan ahead before you travel.

The PTV app is fully accessible and available free on both iOS and Android devices.

Download the PTV app

Advice for passengers travelling interstate

If you do need to travel interstate, please check the rules that your destination state or territory has in place before you travel. Visit the Coronavirus Victoria website for more information.

Restrictions are in place for passengers from Victoria travelling across the South Australian border. Please visit the sa.gov.au COVID website to ensure you are permitted to travel.

There continue to be service changes affecting coach services that travel across the Victoria and New South Wales, and the Victoria and South Australian borders.

Advice for passengers arriving from interstate

You will need to apply for a permit to enter Victoria from anywhere in Australia or New Zealand. Areas will be designated green, orange, red or extreme risk zones by the Chief Health Officer (CHO) based on public health advice. Restrictions will apply for different zones.

Under Victoria’s travel permit system, NSW and ACT are considered an extreme risk zones.

Information on the different zones can be found on the Coronavirus Victoria website.

Advice for passengers travelling interstate

If you do need to travel interstate, please check the rules that your destination state or territory has in place before you travel. Visit the Coronavirus Victoria website for more information.

Restrictions are in place for passengers from Victoria travelling across the South Australian border. Please visit the sa.gov.au COVID website to ensure you are permitted to travel.

There continue to be service changes affecting coach services that travel across the Victoria and New South Wales, and the Victoria and South Australian borders.

Advice for passengers arriving from interstate

Under Victoria’s travel permit system, NSW and ACT are considered an extreme risk zones.

Information on the different zones can be found on the Coronavirus Victoria website.

Travellers tips

For more helpful hints before you travel, see tips for travelling.

Wear a face mask

You must wear a face mask covering your nose and mouth on public transport - ensure you wear it for your entire journey.

Wear a face mask

You must wear a face mask covering your nose and mouth on public transport - ensure you wear it for your entire journey.

More cleaning, more often

We’re disinfecting and sanitising all services, stops and stations on our network every day to help keep you safe while travelling. 

More cleaning, more often

We’re disinfecting and sanitising all services, stops and stations on our network every day to help keep you safe while travelling. 

Practise good hygiene

Wash your hands with soap and water before and after you travel. Sneeze or cough into a tissue, or the inside of your elbow. If you are unwell, stay at home.

Practise good hygiene

Wash your hands with soap and water before and after you travel. Sneeze or cough into a tissue, or the inside of your elbow. If you are unwell, stay at home.

Stagger your travel

Travel outside peak times when there are less people on the network. On weekdays you can travel free before 7.15am on metropolitan trains.

Stagger your travel

Travel outside peak times when there are less people on the network. On weekdays you can travel free before 7.15am on metropolitan trains.

Go cashless

We have plenty of cashless ways to top up your myki. You can top up online, at your nearest station or stop or in the new PTV app. You can also set up auto top up so you're always ready to travel.

Go cashless

We have plenty of cashless ways to top up your myki. You can top up online, at your nearest station or stop or in the new PTV app. You can also set up auto top up so you're always ready to travel.

Keep your distance where you can

When using escalators, try to stand four steps away from the person in front and avoid walking up or down.

Keep your distance where you can

When using escalators, try to stand four steps away from the person in front and avoid walking up or down.

Additional information

Back to school

School buses will operate as normal across Victoria. Students over 12 years old must wear a fitted face mask on public transport. See Back to school travel advice and updates for more information.

Back to school

School buses will operate as normal across Victoria. Students over 12 years old must wear a fitted face mask on public transport. See Back to school travel advice and updates for more information.

Return to work

Download our Return to Work factsheet (PDF) 587 KB for information and advice about how you can travel on the network with confidence.

Return to work

Download our Return to Work factsheet (PDF) 587 KB for information and advice about how you can travel on the network with confidence.

Translated resources

For people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, there are translated resources available for travelling on public transport.

Translated resources

For people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, there are translated resources available for travelling on public transport.

Checking tickets

With COVIDSafe Plans in place, Authorised Officers and conductors are on the network supporting customers and carrying out their full range of duties, including ticket checking. Make sure you have a valid ticket to travel.