| Metropolitan (Perth) Passenger Transport Trust | |
|---|---|
 MTT-operated AEC Regal VI | |
| Overview | |
| Owner | Government of Western Australia |
| Area served | Perth, Western Australia |
| Transit type | Bus, ferry, train |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | 31 August 1958 |
| Ended operation | 4 July 1998 |
| Operator(s) | Westrail (trains) |
The Metropolitan (Perth) Passenger Transport Trust was a statutory authority of the Government of Western Australia from 1958 to 2003. From 1958 to the mid-1990s, it operated bus and ferry services within the Perth metropolitan area. From 1974 to 1993, it managed suburban rail services within the Perth metropolitan area as well, contracting the operation of those services to Westrail.
The organisation was formed with the trading name Metropolitan Transport Trust (MTT) on 15 January 1958 with the purpose of consolidating the various private bus companies into one entity. The private bus companies at the time were in a perilous financial state and people believed that Perth would benefit from a single integrated public transport system. Over the following four years, the MTT acquired the bus companies and the government-operated ferries. The MTT opened the first bus stations in Perth during the 1970s, starting with Morley bus station in August 1972 and Wellington Street bus station in March 1973.
In March 1974, the MTT took over the management of Perth's suburban rail system from the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) and contracted the operation of the suburban rail system back to WAGR, making this the first time that all public transport in Perth has been managed by one organisation. The MTT adopted Transperth as its trading name on 31 August 1986 in a bid to create a unified brand for the buses, ferries and trains. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the existing three train lines were electrified and the Joondalup line was constructed.
The process for privatising the operation of the Transperth system began in 1993. Responsibility for managing the system was transferred to the Department of Transport. The Transperth brand was also transferred to the Department of Transport, with the brand to be used by all the companies which were to operate services under contract. The MTT adopted the trading name MetroBus on 14 February 1995. The operation of the ferries was transferred to Captain Cook Cruises in February 1995. It was initially planned that MetroBus would compete with the private sector for contracts, and it was successful in bidding for the Joondalup North, Armadale South and Perth CATs contracts in 1995 and 1996 whilst several other contracts were awarded to the private sector. The government later announced that it would withdraw MetroBus from operating and it would tender out the remaining contract areas. MetroBus ceased operating bus services on 4 July 1998 and it was abolished on 30 June 2003 upon the formation of the Public Transport Authority.