What you can take – Carriage of animals

 

Guide dogs/Hearing dogs

Only the following animals are permitted to travel on V/Line train and coach services:

 

• guide dogs
• hearing guide dogs
• guide dogs in training
• assistance animals (see Assistance Animal Pass, below)

 

 
Other animals

 

Other animals are prohibited from travelling on V/Line. With the exception of the list above, no animals can travel on any V/Line train or coach service.

 

 

Assistance Animal Pass

 

Only animals identified on an Assistance Animal Pass can travel for free on all Victorian public transport services.

 

The Assistance Animal Pass has been developed to assist people with an ongoing disability (including issues relating to ageing and psychiatric illness) who are unable to use public transport without an assistance animal.

The Assistance Animal Pass will only be issued to people whose animals have received the necessary training to travel on public transport.

Animals that have only been trained to provide companionship and support at home will not qualify for the Pass.

The Assistance Animal Pass is separate from the Companion Card. If an applicant requires both an assistance animal and a companion to travel on public transport, they must apply for both an Assistance Animal Pass and Companion Card.

The Assistance Animal Pass is only issued to people who can demonstrate that their assistance animal alleviates the effects of their disability.

 

Types of assistance animals covered by the Assistance Animal Pass include:

·         Guide Dogs: trained to help blind or visually-impaired people

·         Hearing Dogs: trained to help deaf or hearing-impaired people

·         Mobility Support Animals: trained to help people with physical disabilities who use wheelchairs or have difficulty moving

·         Medical Alert Animals: trained to assist their handlers before and during a medical emergency

·         Psychiatric service animals: trained to provide support to people with psychiatric disabilities.

The Metlink Central Pass Office (CPO) will manage the Assistance Animal Pass application process, assessment of animal suitability and issue of Assistance Animal Pass.

Contact the Metlink CPO on (03) 9619 1159 or (03) 9619 1650.

 

 

Further information

 

For information on travelling with animals on metropolitan trams, trains and buses – please see the Metlink Website (new window). 

For further information please call us on 136 196.

 

 

Related articles:

What you can take – luggage

What you can take – carriage of large items