Brussels, 04/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 4 December, the European Commission adopted two legislative proposals on a raft of rights for travellers using bus, coach or boat transport (domestic or international links). The proposed provisions involve: rights for those with reduced mobility, compensation and assistance in the event of interruption or cancellation of journeys, liability in the event of death or injury, processing of complaints and appeal measures (implemented by independent national bodies in charge of settling litigation).
Antonio Tajani, the European Commissioner in charge of transport said, “transport should be at the service of European citizens. This means ensuring passenger rights in all modes of transport”. In taking up his brief as Commissioner, Tajani made a commitment to adopting texts under this legislature, on passenger rights in transport areas not yet covered by European legislation, namely maritime bus and coach transport.
A text on air transport has been in force since 2005 and guarantees passenger rights. Rail transport: passenger rights will be in force from the end of 2009. the commission points out that 200 million people travel in Europe by boat and more than 500 million by bus.
According to Mr Tajani, the texts submitted are very comprehensive. The regulation bans any discrimination based on disability or reduced mobility during the reservation of a journey or embarkation into a bus or boat. Assistance will be provided free to these people (on the conditions that they passenger has requested it in advance and that they have gone to the terminal or port in the time agreed before departure time). bus transport: passengers will benefit from clear rules on company liability in the event of death, injury or loss of luggage.
As in the air and rails sectors, obligations are planned in the even of cancellation or long delays. Compensation will be 25% of the ticket price for a delay of between 60-119 minutes and 50% for a delay of 120 minutes or more. Reimbursement will be full if the transport provider is unable to provide an exchange service. Member States can exclude urban bus transport from the field of the regulation's application but on the condition that public service contracts offer a level of protection of rights that is comparable to the regulation (L.C./trans/rh)