CDC Victoria, a subsidiary of ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia, has begun operating services with the commencement of Melbourne’s Metropolitan Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) franchises, marking a significant milestone in Melbourne’s transition to sustainable public transport.
Announced by the Victorian government in September last year, three of five available franchises were awarded to CDC Victoria, with a contract commencement date of July 1, 2025 and spanning ten years. CDC Victoria will operate over 370 buses across 251 public bus and school routes, an increase of 63 routes and over 90 buses compared to the previous contract. Together, these services account for over 20% of Melbourne’s Metropolitan Network, reinforcing CDC Victoria’s role in connecting communities across Melbourne’s west, south-west, north-west and inner south-east.
Working with the Victorian Government as part of the new franchises, bus services across Melbourne’s west have been expanded to cater to the communities in the growing west, with 470 more weekly trips on four major routes. Bus routes 170, 180, 190 and 192 will have more trips and longer operating hours, with services running later into the evening most days of the week.
During the contract term, CDC Victoria will transition to zero-emission transport, reinforcing its long-term commitment to sustainability and delivering the State’s Victorian Bus Plan. Over the contract period, CDC Victoria will gradually transition its fleet to full zero-emission operations by 2034, supporting Victoria’s broader environmental goals
CDC Victoria CEO, Jeff Wilson, said, “We are excited to embark on this next chapter for CDC Victoria, providing communities with modern, sustainable, and efficient bus services. We thank our staff, stakeholders, and passengers for their support throughout this transition and look forward to delivering an improved network for Melbourne.”
To align with the expanded operations and new contract structure, the new franchises will be run from the following depots:
- CDC Victoria West – Truganina and Albion depots
- CDC Victoria Northwest – newly acquired Westmeadows depot and Airport West depot
- CDC Victoria East – Oakleigh depot
Under the new franchises, our buses with PTV livery and our CDC branding will remain the same. The newly acquired buses (previously with other operators’ branding) will now feature PTV livery with CDC branding. The transition to the new franchises will be a seamless experience, with unchanged routes, timetables and destination displays. CDC Victoria is committed to delivering modern, efficient and environmentally responsible bus services to the communities it serves.
