[1][2] The remaining Public Transport Corporation services remained in public ownership until privatised in April 1998, with Dysons and Reservoir Bus Company forming Melbourne Bus Link to take over the services operating out of Footscray and Sandringham depots.

[4] From ten expressions received, a shortlist of five bidders was selected in August 2012, with FirstGroup, Keolis Downer, National Bus Company (Ventura Bus Lines), Transit Systems, and Transdev invited to tender.

[11][12] However, in an apparent bid to save jobs and preserve stability in the bus industry due to COVID-19, the contract was extended to 31 January 2022.

The Eastern network (former National Bus Company) operated out of depots in Doncaster and Fitzroy North, while the Western network (former Melbourne Bus Link) operated depots in Footscray and Sandringham.

The SmartBus Orbital fleet operated out of Keysborough depot (formerly owned by Grenda's Bus Service), as well as two interim satellite depots at Dysons in Reservoir, and Tullamarine Bus Lines in Airport West, with a requirement to establish a more permanent storage solution by 2017.