Obligation to offer assistance to passengers when a bus or coach journey is cancelled, delayed or interrupted
You have the right to assistance provided by the carrier if a departure you have paid for is delayed, or if the journey is interrupted because the bus or coach becomes inoperable or has an accident.
Cancellation or delay of a journey
For a journey of a scheduled duration of more than 3 hours and a scheduled distance is 250 km or more, the carrier must, in case of cancellation or delay in departure from a terminal of more than 90 minutes, offer the passenger free of charge:
- Snacks, meals or refreshments in reasonable relation to the waiting time or delay, provided they are available on the bus or in the terminal, or can reasonably be supplied.
- A hotel room or other accommodation as well as assistance to arrange transport between the terminal and the place of accommodation in cases where a stay of 1 or more nights becomes necessary.
For each passenger, the carrier may limit the total cost of accommodation to EUR 80 per night and a maximum of 2 nights. You will not have a right to accommodation if the carrier proves that the cancellation or delay is caused by severe weather conditions or major natural disasters endangering the safe operation of bus or coach services.
Bus or coach breakdown
If the bus or coach becomes inoperable during the journey, the carrier must provide:
- continuation of the service with another vehicle, or
- transport to a suitable waiting point or terminal from where continuation of the journey becomes possible.
Accident
In the event of an accident arising out of the use of the bus or coach, the carrier must provide assistance with regard to the passengers’ immediate practical needs following the accident. The passengers can request assistance from the carrier, in arranging accommodation, food, clothes, transport and the facilitation of first aid.
For each passenger, the carrier may limit the total cost of accommodation to EUR 80 per night and a maximum of 2 nights.
If the carrier denies your claims
If your bus or coach journey was not as agreed, you can file a complaint with the carrier. You should do this as soon as possible. If your complaint to the carrier does not produce results, you can file a complaint with an authority.
Validity of your rights
Your rights are based on the EU Regulation concerning the rights of passengers in bus and coach transport. They apply across the EU territory to passengers travelling with regular services where the boarding or the alighting point of the passengers is situated in the territory of a Member State.