European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, said: 'We have kept our promise: thanks to this regulation EU passenger rights are also extended to bus and coach transport. The EU is now the first area in the world with a full set of passenger rights for all modes of transport.'
Regulation (EU) No 181/2011 on bus and coach passenger rights becomes applicable, providing bus and coach travellers throughout the EU with new rights. The regulation lays down travellers’ basic rights, and imposes a number of obligations on bus and coach companies and terminal managers concerning their responsibility towards the passengers. Every year around 70 million passengers travel by buses and coaches in the EU.
European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, said: “We have kept our promise: thanks to this regulation EU passenger rights are also extended to bus and coach transport. The EU is now the first area in the world with a full set of passenger rights for all modes of transport.”
The bus and coach regulation lays down passenger rights similar to those for air, train and boat transport. These new rights include:
- Non-discrimination based on nationality regarding tariffs and other contract conditions;
- non-discriminatory treatment for disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility. Specifically, free-of-charge assistance both at designated bus terminals and on board buses and coaches, as well as financial compensation for loss of or damage to their mobility equipment;
- adequate and accessible information for all passengers before and during their journey, as well as general information in bus terminals and on the internet about their rights;
- reimbursement of the full ticket price or rerouting in case of overbooking, cancellation or delay of more than 2 hours from the estimated time of departure (only applicable for journeys of more than 250 km distance);
- compensation of 50% of the ticket price in addition to the reimbursement of the full price in case of overbooking, cancellation or a delay of more than 2 hours from the estimated time of departure, when the bus and coach company fails to offer the passenger the right to choose between reimbursement and rerouting (only applicable for journeys of more than 250 km distance);
- adequate assistance (snacks, meals, refreshments, as well as, if necessary, accommodation) in case of cancellation or delay of more than 90 minutes for journeys longer than 3 hours (only applicable for journeys of more than 250 km distance);
- compensation for death, injury, loss or damage to luggage caused by road accidents;
- a complaint handling mechanism established by the bus and coach companies and available to all passengers;
- setting-up of independent bodies in each EU Member State with the mandate to enforce the regulation and, where appropriate, to impose penalties.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
