General Bus Passenger Rights

Under the Road Transport Code of the Republic of Lithuania, passengers on long-distance and local routes have the right to:  

• occupy the seat indicated on the ticket;  
• carry luggage of the established weight and size free of charge;  
• carry one or two children under 3 years of age free of charge on long-distance and local routes, provided that they do not occupy a separate seat and the vehicle is equipped with seats only;  
• receive the difference in fare for a replacement vehicle that is less comfortable, if the vehicle indicated on the ticket cannot operate;  
• return the ticket before the journey in accordance with the established procedure and receive all or part of the money paid for it.  

Since 1 March 2013, EU Regulation No 181/2011 (hereinafter the Regulation) has applied, establishing the main rights of long-distance bus passengers regarding:  

• non-discrimination in the transport conditions offered;  
• provision of essential information to passengers;  
• compensation and assistance in the event of accidents;  
• cancellation of journeys or delays in starting them due to the carrier's fault;  
• submission of complaints;  
• assistance when travelling for disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility.  

Passengers on transport services covering a distance of at least 250 km, have the following rights:  

- the right to be transported and not to be discriminated against on grounds of nationality or the place of establishment of the carrier or ticket vendor in the EU. Carriers providing regular services issue the passenger with a ticket, unless the right to be transported is granted by other documents.  

- the right to compensation and assistance in the event of death, personal injury, or the loss of or damage to luggage or the mobility equipment of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility. For monetary compensation, the passenger must apply personally to a national court. After an accident, the carrier must provide prompt assistance meeting the passengers' practical needs, such as accommodation, food, clothing, transport, and facilitating the provision of first aid. 

- the right to be informed when a journey is cancelled or departure is delayed, and to receive information about passenger rights and the contact details of the national bodies enforcing the Regulation. If a service is cancelled or departure is delayed, the carrier informs passengers of the situation no later than 30 minutes after the scheduled departure time and, when known, of the estimated departure time. If passengers miss a connecting transport service because of disruption to the journey, they have the right to be informed as soon as possible of alternative connecting services, also electronically upon request.  

- the right to a full refund of the ticket price or to travel by another route if the journey is cancelled or the start of it is significantly delayed. If more tickets have been sold than there are seats, the journey is cancelled, or departure is delayed by more than 120 minutes, passengers have the right to choose: to travel by another route as soon as possible under similar conditions at no additional charge, or to get back the full amount paid for the ticket and, if necessary, to return free of charge to the original departure point as soon as possible. Passengers have the right to receive compensation of 50% of the ticket price if the carrier does not offer a choice between a refund and travel on another service. If the bus breaks down during the journey, another vehicle must be sent to the breakdown location to carry passengers to their destination, or to a waiting place or station from which they can continue the journey. 

- the right to appropriate assistance if a long journey is cancelled, delayed at departure, or in the event of an accident. If a journey scheduled to last more than 3 hours is cancelled or delayed at departure from the station by more than 90 minutes, passengers have the right to appropriate assistance: to receive snacks, meals, refreshments and, if necessary, accommodation (this right to accommodation does not apply in the event of severe weather conditions or major natural disasters). Disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility have the right to receive special assistance at bus stations and on buses at no additional charge. 

- the right to submit complaints to carriers. Passengers may submit complaints to carriers within 3 months of the date on which the journey took place or should have taken place. Within 1 month of receiving the complaint, the carrier informs the passenger of the status of its handling, and a final reply is provided within 3 months. 

Passengers using regular services whose scheduled route is shorter than 250 km, have the following rights:  

- non-discrimination of passengers with regard to nationality, prices and contract terms;  

- non-discrimination of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility, as well as monetary compensation for the loss of or damage to their mobility equipment as a result of a road traffic accident;  

- minimum rules on information about the journey for all passengers before and during the journey, as well as general information at stations and on the internet about their rights. 

One-off services (where groups of passengers formed at the initiative of a customer or of the carrier itself are transported by bus) that begin and end in the territory of a Member State are entitled to:  

- non-discriminatory transport conditions;  

- the issuing of (electronic) tickets or any other documents granting the right to be transported;  

- compensation and assistance in the event of death, personal injury, or the loss of or damage to luggage as a result of accidents;  

- monetary compensation for lost or damaged mobility equipment of disabled passengers and passengers with reduced mobility.  

These and other rights do not preclude claims in national courts for damages suffered as a result of the cancellation or delay of a transport service.  

The Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration is the designated body responsible for ensuring compliance with the provisions of the Regulation for regular services whose journey starts or ends in Lithuania, and the State Consumer Rights Protection Authority is the designated body that, under the Regulation, handles consumer complaints through out-of-court dispute resolution. The contact details of these bodies are:  

• Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration (Lietuvos transporto saugos administracija), Švitrigailos g. 42, 03209 Vilnius, tel. +370 5 278 56 01, e-mail: [email protected]  

• State Consumer Rights Protection Authority (Valstybinė vartotojų teisių apsaugos tarnyba), A. Goštauto g. 12, 01108 Vilnius, tel. +370 5 262 67 60, e-mail: [email protected]