Last updated: June 2026
Introduction
This privacy statement explains how the Public Transport Authority (PTA)
collects, holds, uses and discloses personal information.
The PTA, as a Western Australian public sector entity, is required to comply
with the
Privacy and Responsible Information Sharing Act 2024 (WA) (PRIS Act).
We are committed to managing personal information responsibly, transparently
and in accordance with the PRIS Act.
Personal information is as defined in the PRIS Act and generally means any
information or an opinion relating to an individual that identifies them or
could reasonably be used to identify them.
Sensitive personal information is as defined in the PRIS Act and is a subset
of personal information. It generally includes information or an opinion about
an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, gender identity, sexual orientation
or practices, political opinions or associations, religious beliefs or
affiliations, philosophical beliefs, membership of professional or trade
associations or trade unions, criminal record, health information, genetic or
genomic information, or biometric information.
The information we collect and how it is collected
We only collect personal information where it is necessary for one or more of our functions or activities.
We will collect your personal information directly from you where it is reasonable and practicable to do so. Generally, you will know if we are collecting your personal information because we will ask you for it. For example, if you submit an online form or subscribe to receive newsletters, we will ask you to provide your name and contact details. We may also collect personal information from you through:
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The chat function on our website or via the Transperth mobile application. We will collect any personal information you provide in the chat.
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Registration and use of a SmartRider or SmartCommuter card. We will collect information relating to your personal details, location, use of public transport and travel concession details.
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Parking at a public transport parking facility. We will collect information relating to your use of the parking facilities and motor vehicle registration details.
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Use of the Transperth mobile application. We will collect information as to your activity, location, telephone number, IP address and any security incident information.
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Closed circuit television (CCTV) video and audio recordings and body camera surveillance. We may collect CCTV recordings and body camera footage and audio (worn by our officers) of you when you use our train, bus and ferry services or attend a train, bus or ferry station or are on any property we own or control.
When you access this website, some technical information is collected about your visit. For example:
- your server address;
- your top level domain name (for example .com, .gov, .au, .uk etc.);
- the date and time of your visit to the site;
- the pages you accessed and documents downloaded;
- the previous site you have visited;
- the type of browser you are using; and
- what devices and operating systems you used to access the site.
We may also collect your personal information from third parties where you have consented, or thecollection is required or authorised by law.
The types of personal information we collect may include, but is not limited to:
- your name, address and contact details;
- information about your identity (e.g. date of birth, passport details, drivers’ licence, birth certificates, ATM cards, portrait photograph);
- gender and marital status;
- travel concession details;
- travel details and location information;
- Cardholder Data;
- bank account details;
- public interest disclosure applications;
- SmartRider and SmartCommuter number;
- vehicle registration number;
- working with children checks;
- employment details (including work history, referee comments and remuneration);
- occupation details;
- insurance details;
- educational qualifications;
- government identifiers (e.g. Tax File Number);
- security incident details;
- financial position, organisation details and credit check information;
- telephone and audio recordings;
- internet site and mobile application chats;
- social media posts; and
- content of email messages and email addresses of sender and recipients.
We may also collect sensitive personal information including, but not limited to:
- criminal history;
- CCTV video and audio recordings;
- body camera video and audio recordings; and
- health information (including medical details, disabilities or injuries).
We will only collect sensitive personal information where it is necessary for one or more of our functions (including our law enforcement function) and it is authorised under the PRIS Act.
How we use and disclose your personal information
We will only use or disclose your personal information for the purpose it was collected or for a purpose required or permitted by law. For example, we may use your personal information to deliver public transport services, ensure safety and security, respond to enquiries and complaints, undertake our law enforcement functions, manage our relationship with you, assist in planning and research, respondoa security incident, send you newsletters, updates, notifications or other PTA related commuter information or for administrative, management and operational purposes.
We may also use or disclose your personal information for another purpose where:
- you have consented;
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you would reasonably expect us to use or disclose your personal information for the secondary purpose, and that purpose is related to the primary purpose, or, in the case of sensitive information, directly related to the primary purpose;
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all of the following apply:
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use or disclosure is necessary for research, or the compilation or analysis of statistics, in the public interest;
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research or statistics are not to be published in a form that identifies any particular individual;
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it is impracticable for us to seek your consent before the use or disclosure or, in the case of disclosure, we reasonably believe that the recipient of the information will not further disclose the information;
- we reasonably believe that the use or disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen;
- a serious threat to the life, health, safety or welfare of any individual; or
- a serious threat to public health, public safety or public welfare; or
- a threat to the life, health, safety or welfare of any individual due to family violence;
- we have reason to suspect that unlawful activity has been, is being, or may be, engaged in and we use or disclose the information as a necessary part of our investigation of the matter or in reporting the matter to relevant persons or authorities;
- the use or disclosure is required or authorised by or under law; or
- we reasonably believe that the use or disclosure is necessary for:
- a law enforcement function to be performed by us or a law enforcement agency; or
- proceedings before a court or tribunal.
We will use CCTV and body camera recordings to:
- deliver our transport services safely and securely;
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deter, detect, prevent, investigate and respond to safety or security incidents on or at our bus, ferry and train services, carparks and stations, the rail reserve and any land we own or control;
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investigate and respond to liability claims on or at our bus, ferry and train services, carparks and stations, the rail reserve and any property we own or control;
- prepare for or conduct proceedings in a court or tribunal;
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prevent, detect, investigate, prosecute and punish contraventions of the Public Transport Authority Act 2003 (WA), Government Railways Act 1904 (WA) and regulations and by-laws made thereunder.
We will disclose CCTV and body camera recordings to:
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law enforcement bodies (and their contractors) for their enforcement and investigation activities; and
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legal advisers, insurers and courts for liability claims and prosecutions.
We will disclose materials (including images and audio) from CCTV and body camera recordings for the above purposes.
Your personal information will at all times be managed in accordance with the applicable legislation in Western Australia and retained in accordance with any legal obligation (including the State Records Act 2000).
We may also provide your personal information to other entities including:
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contractors who provide certain services related to our services. These services include, but are not limited to, information technology manufacture, supply, maintenance and support, electronic funds transfer services, credit card account processing and related services, call centre support, security services, school bus services, property management, debt collection, review and disclosure of CCTV feeds and recordings and body camera footage, production of cards, marketing, research and planning;
- Ministers and other government departments, agencies or entities;
- our internal and external auditors;
- law enforcement agencies (and their contractors) or regulators;
- emergency services providers;
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research and marketing entities for the purposes of research, marketing and planning; and
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investigators and entities engaged to help identify and investigate improper activities or prevent fraud.
Law enforcement functions
In some circumstances, we exercise law enforcement functions, such as preventing, detecting, investigating, prosecuting and punishing contraventions of the Public Transport Authority Act 2003 (WA), Government Railways Act 1904 (WA) and regulations and by-laws made thereunder.
When undertaking our law enforcement functions, we may collect, use or disclose personal information in accordance with section 23 of the PRIS Act. This may mean that some privacy obligations apply differently, but only to the extent reasonably necessary to carry out those law enforcement functions.
Use of cookies
When you visit our websites, some statistical information is collected about how you interact with the website. We use cookies to collect this type of information. Cookies are small files that store information on your computer, TV, mobile phone or other device. They enable us to recognise you across different websites, services, devices and/or browsing sessions. We use cookies to deliver content specific to your interests, so you do not have to register each time you use the website. You can disable cookies through your internet browser but if you do so, some of the features on our websites may not function fully and your ability to browse, read and download information may be impaired.
We use online tools to gather information about visitors to our website and to help us improve our website and deliver services. We use software provided by third party vendors for this purpose.
Social media
We may also use third-party websites and platforms for interactive sharing and to connect with you. This includes social media platforms, including but not limited to, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. When you browse and make use of our social media platforms, you are using an external site and are therefore subject to the privacy policies and practices of that site. These third-party sites may allow them to use your personal information in ways that will be different to the way we use and disclose your personal information. If you have any questions or concerns regarding that site’s privacy policies and practices, you should review the privacy statement of the relevant site. We do not exercise any control over the management of those sites and do not endorse, and are not accountable for, any views expressed by third parties using or providing those sites.
We may record and monitor information posted to our social media channels and use that information for the purposes of administering the channels, for record keeping, for considering and/or addressing any comments made, for direct marketing and for running competitions and campaigns.
We use Facebook’s Pixel to gather information. It collects data that helps us track conversions from Facebook ads, optimise ads, build targeted audiences for future ads, tailor content and remarket to people. By engaging with us via Facebook, you acknowledge and agree that you also comply with terms and conditions of use of Facebook and that you consent to this use. You can choose to opt out from tailored content through your Facebook settings. However, if you change your settings and are following us on Facebook, you may still see our organic posts.
Disclosure of personal information outside Australia
Generally, we will not disclose personal information outside Australia unless an exception in the PRIS Act applies. We may disclose personal information outside of Australia to third party contractors and suppliers, including in the United States and European Union.
When you provide your personal information to us, you consent to the disclosure of your information outside of Australia. We will take reasonable steps, either through contractual or other legal safeguards, to ensure that an overseas recipient deals with such personal information in a way that is substantially similar to the obligations in the information privacy principles in the PRIS Act.
When you communicate with us through a social media network service such as Facebook or Twitter, the network provider and its partners may collect and hold your personal information overseas.
Links
Our website may contain links to websites operated by third parties. Those links are provided for convenience and may not remain current or be maintained. We are not responsible for, and do not endorse or otherwise approve, the content, privacy policies or practices of third party websites that are linked on PTA websites, and we have no control over or rights in those linked websites. The privacy policies that apply to those other websites may differ substantially from this Privacy Statement. If you follow a link to another website from a PTA website, we recommend that you read the privacy statement or policy of that other website to understand what it does with your information.
Anonymity
We will typically require your name and contact information when dealing with you or providing a service to you. There may be circumstances, such as general enquiries and some reporting instances, where you may remain anonymous or use an alias or assumed name. There are many circumstances where anonymity is not possible and we cannot provide a service to you if you do not provide your personal information.
De-identified information
We may hold information that has had the personally identifying information removed for a specific purpose. Re-identification of personal information will only occur where the information is required or authorised by law or for specific purposes to provide services to you.
Unique identifiers
A unique identifier is an identifier (usually a number) that is used for the purpose of identifying an individual. We will not assign a unique identifier unless it is necessary to perform any of our functions or activities efficiently. We will not use as our own a unique identifier created by another organisation unless authorised under the information privacy principles in the PRIS Act.
Automated decision-making
We may employ automated decision-making involving personal information in certain processes. However, for significant decisions about individuals we will ensure that human oversight will remain a key part of the decision-making process. In these circumstances, when requested, we will provide you with information about how the decision was made and provide a process to request further human intervention in relation to the decision.
Security and retention
We have taken all reasonable steps to implement the appropriate security policies, rules, measures and patches to protect your personal information from misuse, interference and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Personal information is securely stored by us and by third parties on our behalf. For example, fire walls and virus protection software are in place to protector systems and data.
Personal information will only be retained for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as otherwise required or authorised by law. We will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify personal information which we no longer need, in accordance with the State Records Act 2000 (WA) and our supporting policies and procedures, unless the information is required or authorised to be retained by law.
Information breach
We will take appropriate steps to mitigate the risks of an information breach occurring. In the event of an actual or suspected information breach we will take the necessary steps to contain the breach and remediate it in line with our information breach management procedures. Where a breach involves personal information and is reasonably likely to result in serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and relevant authorities when required under the PRIS Act.
Access and correction
You may request access to documents that contain your personal information which are in our possession. You may also request the correction of documents which we hold that contain your personal information if you believe that personal information is inaccurate, misleading, incomplete or out of date.
Please contact us via the details below for further information.
Contact us
If you have any questions relating to privacy, please contact us by
View the PTA Information Breach Policy here.