Kinetic to drive Victoria’s zero-emission bus transition after winning new Melbourne ZEB Franchise region

• Kinetic has been announced as the Franchisee to operate one of Melbourne’s new metro bus regions
• It will see Kinetic expand its partnership with the Victorian Government and introduce more zero-emission buses
• The ZEB Franchises (MZF) will see Franchisees transition the entire fleet to electric over 10 years

Kinetic, Australasia’s largest owner and operator of zero-emission buses (ZEB), will expand its partnership with the Victorian Government and help decarbonise Melbourne’s bus network after being announced as the Franchisee to operate one of the new Metropolitan ZEB Franchises (MZF).

The Franchises, competitively tendered as part of the MZF Project, are an important next step in the Victorian Government’s Bus Plan to deliver holistic reform to the state’s bus network. They aim to bring greater commercial consistency and reduced complexity to metropolitan bus contracts, drive a more consistent customer experience, and support Victoria’s transition to zero-emission buses.

Kinetic is already the proud custodian of the Metropolitan Bus Franchise (MBF) which covers one third of Melbourne’s bus network, moving millions of people annually across 50 urban routes with 1100 drivers and 532 buses. The new Franchise will see Kinetic operate services in the city’s northern suburbs and welcome an additional 107 drivers and 25 full time staff to its team.

As part of the MZF Project, Kinetic will transition the entire fleet to full ZEB operations by the end of the 10-year contract. Kinetic is highly credentialled as a leader in the decarbonisation of public transport, with a network of 11 electric bus depots and over 320 zero-emission buses in Australia and New Zealand alone.

Within 12 months of operating Melbourne’s MBF, Kinetic successfully completed major electrification upgrades to two depots in Sunshine West and Heatherton, as part of an initial Stage 1 commitment to deliver 36 zero-emission buses. The project was completed ahead of schedule and the delivery of greener, cleaner vehicles remains on track.

Since taking custodianship of the MBF in February 2022, Kinetic has also improved reliability and performance, and increased workforce diversity having tripled the number of women in driving roles.

Kinetic Group CEO Michael Sewards said he was proud to expand Kinetic’s partnership enhancing Melbourne’s bus experience with the Victorian Government.

“We're excited to support more Melbournians with cleaner, greener and more modern bus services, and continue the incredible work of the team behind the Melbourne Bus Franchise which has been world-class,’ Mr Sewards said.

“From attracting a more diverse workforce and modernising facilities for drivers, to introducing electric buses and improving reliability of services, it’s progress we’re incredibly proud of and will now continue in more suburbs and communities.

“We’re also hugely excited to share our leadership and experience from across Australasia and the UK to support the Victorian Government with the exciting transformation of Melbourne’s bus network to zero emissions.”

Kinetic Chief Commercial Officer Mackayla Hanney said the growth within the Victorian market is testament to Kinetic’s service delivery and performance.

“This is evidence of our reputation in Melbourne, and in metro cities and regional communities across Australasia, for delivering on our commitments for our partners and our communities,” she said.

“We’ve consistently demonstrated our ability to bring value to our partners through excellence in service delivery, decarbonisation of operations, and delivering on other sustainability priorities that mean our operations benefit communities in a multitude of ways.”

Kinetic will soon begin preparations to transition into the contract, with operations commencing from 1 July 2025.

Kinetic is targeting a 100 per cent zero-emission urban bus fleet by 2035. Globally, Kinetic’s network includes 1,200 ZEBs in operation or on order and 33 ZEB depots.

Further enquiries

Stephanie Makin
Manager - Media & Communications
0438 462 380
stephanie.makin@wearekinetic.com