Passenger rights in bus transport - Frequent cases at apf

Bus and coach passengers have extensive rights under Regulation (EU) 181/2011 to be protected in the event of delays, cancellations or problems during their journey.
The Agency for Passenger Rights (apf) is actively committed to enforcing these rights and has collected important findings from the arbitration procedure of 2024 and recommendations.

Assistance in the event of delays and cancellations

If a bus station is more than 90 minutes late for departure or the journey is canceled, bus companies must provide meals and refreshments if the scheduled journey time is more than three hours. In many cases, however, this obligation is not fulfilled.

Recommendations for passengers:

• If you do not receive assistance, organize your own catering and submit the costs to the company. Be sure to keep invoices.
• Please note that alcoholic drinks are usually not reimbursed.

Recommendations for companies:

• Proactively offer meals and refreshments and inform passengers of their availability well in advance.

Defective buses and onward journey

In the event of technical defects on the route, the bus company is obliged to provide alternative transportation. The apf found that this is often organized slowly or inadequately. Passengers often wait a long time for a replacement bus, or only some of the passengers are transported.

Recommendations for passengers:

• Actively request fast alternative transportation from the bus staff or customer service.
• Obtain written confirmation of reimbursement of costs if you organize an alternative such as a cab yourself.
• Pay attention to reasonable costs and keep proof (tickets, invoices).

Recommendations for companies:

• Check the technical reliability of the buses better.
• Organize alternative transport options more quickly, for example by using large-capacity cabs or cooperating with rail companies.

Left behind at stopovers

Passengers repeatedly report that they were left behind at intermediate stops - either because the duration of the break was not clearly communicated or because it was not checked whether all passengers had returned.

Recommendations for passengers:

• Inform fellow passengers when you leave the bus, especially if you are traveling alone.
• Take important valuables such as your cell phone, money or ID with you.
• Be back at the bus in good time before the end of the break - especially if the breaks are short.

Recommendations for companies:

• Make sure that all passengers are back on board before departure.
• Create an opportunity to contact the bus staff directly in emergency situations.

Alternative transportation in the event of cancellations and delays

If a journey is delayed by more than 120 minutes or is canceled, passengers are entitled to alternative transport. The company must offer this free of charge and with as little deviation as possible from the original travel time. In practice, however, it is often the case that passengers have to take action themselves.

Companies such as FlixBus often refuse to reimburse additional costs, especially if the alternative route or means of transportation (e.g. rental car, plane) differs from the original plan.

Recommendations for passengers:

• For alternative connections, book the same destination as the original ticket.
• Give preference to bus or train connections, as the cost of rental cars or flights is often not guaranteed.

Recommendations for companies:

• Blanket refusals to cover costs should be avoided, especially if there are comprehensible reasons for deviations.
• Recognize pro-rata costs if means of transport other than bus and train are the only practicable alternative.

If you have faced these or similar challenges in bus transport, you can contact the Agency for Passenger Rights free of charge and commission.

Tel: +43 1 5050 707 720
ONLINE-arbitrationarbitration request