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Transport Safety and Investigation Officers (TSIOs) are employees of the Department of State Growth.

TSIOs perform a wide range of functions including:

  • Education, compliance, enforcement and investigation of cars, trailers, caravans and public passenger vehicles.
  • Written off Vehicle Register (WOVR) and vehicle identity checks.
  • Investigating vehicles involved in serious and fatal collisions
  • Working with Tasmania Police in joint road safety operations
  • Escorting oversize and over mass loads

Transport Safety vehicles are fitted with Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology which is utilised to identify unregistered vehicles, stolen vehicles, and vehicles operating with the incorrect premium.

Wearing of body worn cameras

TSIOs wear body worn cameras to capture interactions with members of the public when performing their duties to provide:

  • Improved safety to both TSIOs, and the motoring public
  • To provide an accurate record of events

TSIOs will identify themselves, explain the reason for the interaction, and advise you that the interaction is being recorded for transparency and accountability. Body worn cameras are highly visible to anyone interacting with a TSIO.

Transport Safety and Investigation Officer (TSIO) powers

TSIOs have broad powers under the Vehicle and Traffic Act 1999 relating to the intercepting and examining of vehicles, including heavy vehicles. TSIOs operate within strict guidelines, they also enforce the Road Rules and can issue on-the-spot fines for a range of offences. They can also refer matters for prosecution.

What can Transport Safety and Investigation Officers (TSIOs) do?

TSIOs have the authority to:

  • intercept vehicles and carry out safety inspections, check registration and compulsory third party insurance
  • check passenger transport vehicles for drivers' authorisation and operator accreditation.
  • Require your driver’s licence, name and address.
  • Issue a Traffic Infringement Notice (TIN) or defect notice
  • Require a vehicle to present for inspection (call-in a vehicle)
  • Close roads or intersections or require vehicles to move over when escorting oversize/overmass loads.

Please remember: When you are interacting with a TSIO you may be required to provide your name, address or produce your driver’s licence. Transport Safety and Investigation Officers may also inspect your vehicle for roadworthiness compliance.

1Where are Transport Safety and Investigation officers based?

Transport Safety and Investigation Officers are based in:

  • Launceston
  • Burnie
  • Hobart.

2What services does the Transport Safety and Investigation Unit provide?

Over Size Over Mass (OSOM) escorts

The unit provides escorts for the transport of Over Size Over Mass (OSOM) vehicles.

Learn more about OSOM vehicles and loads.

Written Off Vehicle Register (WOVR) identity checks for light vehicles

We provide WOVR identity inspections for light vehicles in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie.

Light vehicle crash inspections for the Coroner

The Transport Safety and Investigation Unit undertake crashed light vehicle inspections for the Coroner, this includes light vehicles involved in fatal crashes and for some serious injury crashes.

Public Passenger Vehicles compliance and enforcement

The Transport Safety and Investigation Unit provide compliance and enforcement services for the Public Passenger Vehicle sector. This includes:

  • buses (heavy and light)
  • taxis
  • restricted hire vehicles
  • luxury hire vehicles
  • ride-sourcing services (such as Uber and Shebah).

The Transport Safety and Investigation Unit has a focus on buses to ensure they are safe and compliant operation of a bus as a Public Passenger Vehicle. This means ensuring compliance with our registration and licensing requirements for Public Passenger Vehicles:

It also includes ensuring compliance with our passenger transport regulations. This includes:

  • licensing, licence plates and fees
  • taxi operations (including compliance with areas and fares)
  • taxi vehicles and equipment (including tariff lights, cameras and meters), and
  • accreditation and authorisations.

3Safety and escort vehicles

You can recognise our escort vehicles by their distinctive yellow and green markings, red and blue flashing lights and warning signs.  Our Transport Safety officers were distinctive hi-viz clothing and hand-held signalling torches.

Escort vehicles will be directing traffic ahead of, and behind the convoy. Transport Safety officers will sometimes need to leave their vehicles. This may be to help with the convoy or to give instruction to other drivers. This could include passing the convoy where it is safe to so do. Please be patient and respectful when following their instructions. It is an offence to disobey a direction of a Transport Safety officer.

Information on Oversize and overmass (OSOM) vehicles and loads

Contacts

Transport Safety and Investigation Unit

Phone: (03) 6777 1936
Email: transport.safety@stategrowth.tas.gov.au
Postal address: PO Box 1906, Launceston TAS 7250

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