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Coach travel rights plans put forward
Plans to bring the rights of long-distance bus and coach passengers in line with train and plane users have been put forward for consultation by the Government.
Mainly applying to journeys of more than 155 miles, the proposals aim to ensure bus and coach passengers have similar legal protection to those using other forms of transport.
The UK must comply with EU regulations on bus and coach passenger rights from March next year.
The regulations lay out the responsibilities of operators and terminal owners in the case of delays, cancellations, accidents and other issues affecting passengers, including disabled passengers and passengers with reduced mobility.
Transport minister Norman Baker said: "We want people taking coach trips and long-distance bus journeys to get a fair deal.
"However, we also want to avoid tying operators up in expensive and unnecessary burdens.
"I believe that the approach outlined in this consultation finds the right balance between passenger protection and operator competitiveness and I hope that groups likely to be affected by these changes will agree when they respond to our proposals."
The consultation opens today and closes on October 11.
Copyright Press Association 2012
