Melbourne is a fast consolidating bus industry with larger players buying out public bus operations of smaller companies in recent years (though many of these smaller companies continue to operate coach and chartered bus services). A colourful variety of bus liveries under major operators is a visible legacy, which is fast disappearing under the state government's effort to impose a single unified PTV livery.

The controversial Myki contactless smart card is the only ticket accepted for travel and has been severely criticised over the years for its unreliability. Since 2013, the Victoria state government began applying the latest Public Transport Victoria (PTV) branding on all buses to have a unified brand identity.