The IRU regrets that the European Institutions did not reach a compromise agreement in second reading on the passenger rights regulation and calls for a reasonable conciliation procedure for balanced and practicable rules to be agreed upon.

Brussels – The IRU deplores the opportunity missed by the EU Institutions to reach an agreement on the regulation on passenger rights in bus and coach transport in second reading, as the regulation is now likely to be subject to a conciliation procedure, which risks a poor and unpractical compromise on important rules.

IRU Vice President, Graham Smith, said: “It would have been in the best interest of passengers and transport operators alike if the Parliament and Council had reached an agreement in second reading. The IRU had already made constructive and practicable proposals for this to happen. Nonetheless, we remain ready to cooperate during the conciliation process to ensure that the interests of both passengers and operators are met.”

Indeed, only the application of balanced and practicable rules, like those expressed by the Council on the scope of the Regulation and the liability regime of carriers in case of accident, can ensure that passenger rights in bus and coach transport are implemented in a harmonised and efficient manner across the European Union, while allowing European transport operators to improve the quality of their services as well as to fulfill the real objective behind this legislation, that is to protect passenger rights in order to increase the use of collective transport.

To this end, and in response to the current and future challenges to the mobility of European citizens, the European bus and coach industry has taken the unpr