Metro is reminding all campaigners that political advertising is prohibited within Metro’s property boundary and political parties or individuals should not allow any political candidate, party, group or person to hand out political notices or affix posters to station premises.

Political notices includes flyers, stickers, handbills, brochures, t-shirts, balloons – anything containing a political message.

Metro’s property boundary will generally include all station platforms, buildings, carparks including internal roadways/footpaths/bridges/stairs/lifts and access ways with station carparks.

Political posters are not allowed to be installed on any building, structure or facility located in any section of Metro’s property, including the fence line. All political posters will be immediately removed from the fence line or property and disposed of appropriately.

Any person handing out flyers within Metro’s station property boundary will be politely asked to move to the footpath outside the boundary.

If you have questions or want to report political material at stations, contact PTV on 1800 800 007 – 6am to midnight daily (all night on Fridays & Saturdays).

The relevant section of the Transport (Compliance and Miscellaneous) (Conduct on Public Transport) Regulations 2015 (Vic) is:

Section 30 (2):

(2) A person in or on a public transport vehicle or public transport premises must not, without appropriate written authorisation:

1. a) distribute handbills; or
2. b) solicit money or goods from any person; or
3. c) busk.

It is an offence under the Summary Offences Act 1966 (Vic) to post a document on a building or structure without the consent of the occupier or owner of the premises concerned. Section 10(1) states:

Any person who posts any placard bill sticker or other document on or writes or paints on or otherwise defaces any road bridge or footpath or any house building hoarding wall fence gate tree tree-guard post pillar hydrant fire-alarm petrol pump or other structure whatsoever without the consent of the occupier or owner of the premises concerned or of any person or body having authority to give such consent shall be guilty of an offence.

Penalty: 15 penalty units or imprisonment for three months.

The MTM Franchise Agreement: Train Passenger Experience Module states in relation to advertising material in Stations or on any Franchise Assets:

Clause 18 Advertising

(b) Any Advertising:

(i) must comply with all applicable Law;

(ii) must comply with voluntary codes of conduct established by the advertising industry;

(iv) must not:

• Depict any subject matter that is Offensive;
• Condone or provoke anti-social behaviour;
• Promote or relate to alcohol or gambling;
• Use sexualised images or gender objectification;
• Portray images or events that may cause distress to children;
• Be used to promote a political party, parties or a political cause;
• Use Offensive language;
• Demean any person or group on the basis of ethnicity, nationality, race, gender, age, sexual preference, religion or mental or physical disability; or
• Disparage or diminish the reputation of public transport or the public transport system in Victoria or be otherwise inconsistent with the marketing component of the Network Services Coordination Plan;.

(v) must not resemble, be capable of confusion with, or obstruct directional or informational signs or otherwise compromise wayfinding in any way