New rights for bus and coach passengers from 2013

Loss of luggage, delays, accidents, etc. - passengers will now be able to claim compensation.

Regulation 181/2011 determines the rights and compensation applicable to bus and coach passengers. The new regulation takes effect on 1 March 2013.

This regulation determines the rights of, and compensation due to, bus and coach passengers.

Rights only applicable to journeys of 250 km or more

European legislation governs mainly long distance journeys of 250 km or more and stipulates, but is not limited to, the following:

in the event of death or injury and lost or damaged luggage as a result of a road accident passengers are entitled to compensation. Individual member states are entitled to set maximum compensation amounts. However, they must be no less than € 220,000 per passenger or € 1,200 per item of luggage;
disabled people and people with reduced mobility are entitled to support free of charge and, where necessary, transport for their carers free of charge;
in the event of an accident the bus/coach company must immediately provide practical support (meals, refreshments and, if necessary, maximum two nights accommodation in a hotel up to the value of € 80 per night);
in the event of overbooking, cancellation or a delay of more than 2 hours the carrier must offer passengers the choice between a refund and transport to the final destination via another route. If the carrier fails to do so, they must pay compensation equal to 50% of the ticket price.
in the event of a delay at departure in excess of 90 minutes or cancellation of a journey of more than three hours, passengers are entitled to the repayment of their meals and refreshments. If necessary passengers are also entitled to two nights accommodation in a hotel to the value of maximum € 80 per night. However, this does not apply in the event of Force Majeure (e.g. natural disasters and/or extreme weather conditions).

Fundamental rights for all journeys

All bus and coach passengers will have the same basic rights, irrespective of the travel distance, including the following:

ban on discrimination on the basis of nationality;
ban on discrimination against disabled people and people with reduced mobility and financial compensation in the event of loss of, or damage to, mobility aids as a result of an accident;
minimum rules on travel information for all passengers before and during the journey;
right to general information on passenger rights in terminals and on the Internet.

Complaints procedure

The regulation stipulates that all member states must establish an independent national enforcement body, which must enforce the implementation of the regulation. Carriers must set up a complaint procedure that will handle all passenger complaints.

From now on users of the various means of transport will have specific rights

This regulation is the last stage in the creation of a European legal framework to protect users of all means of transport. The European Commission is now working on a notification in which the protection of passengers in the various transport sectors is reviewed in order to provide more coherent and effective protection.