The earliest transport authorities in Victoria operated under the purview of the
Board of Land and Works, an innovative structure created to administer public service departments and authorities with some independence from government. Although these departments continued to be responsible to ministers in
Parliament, they were effectively controlled by the Board in their day-to-day operations. Later, other
statutory authorities such as the
Victorian Railways (VR),
Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB) and
Country Roads Board (CRB) were established independently from the Board of Land and Works, but remained at arm's length from the elected government well into the 20th century. However, in the early decades of the 20th century the fragmented nature of the transport administration became apparent. One of the symptoms was private bus services, which competed with the state railway system for passengers on lightly trafficked routes and hindered the financial viability of many railway lines. In 1928, the government of Premier
Edmond Hogan proposed heavy regulation of road transport services by a new Ministry of Transport, to be jointly overseen by the chairmen of the VR, MMTB and CRB. The policy was strongly opposed by motor industry groups, and
The Age and
The Argus argued that the remit and structure of the proposed Ministry was so vague it would not be able to efficiently resolve the clashes between sectors. Hogan struggled throughout 1929 and 1930 to win political support for a bill to constitute the Ministry, and parliamentary committees heard requests for substantial amendments from railway and road interests. Eventually, in December 1931, Hogan conceded the bill was too controversial to pass, and it was withdrawn. As motor traffic continued to grow, the problems Hogan had foreseen worsened without coordination of transport policy.
The Age editorialised in favour of a centralised Ministry of Transport in 1937, arguing that it would be "one of the first steps towards the proper handling of the problems of traffic and transport". By 1938, similar ministries had been established in
other states and territories, as well as
New Zealand, and the concept gained political support in Victoria. Following the
Second World War, the need for improved coordination of transport services became more apparent. Rail and road services were stretched to capacity in some areas after a lack of wartime investment, but in others, services operated by different agencies competed for passengers and goods. == Initial establishment ==