·¬ÇÑÊÓƵwelcomes today¡¯s votes by the European Parliament¡¯s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) on new rules for enforcing passenger rights in the EU and in multimodal journeys but warns that some proposals risk placing excessive burdens on bus and coach operators.
The votes mark a step forward in recognising the distinct role of road passenger transport in sustainable mobility. However, without further adjustments, the regulations risk imposing additional administrative burdens and could discourage operators from joining multimodal networks, ultimately limiting passenger choice and undermining climate goals.
·¬ÇÑÊÓƵEU Advocacy Director Raluca Marian said, ¡°Today¡¯s votes show promising progress. But without more proportionate obligations, we risk discouraging road operators from participating in multimodal services.¡±
·¬ÇÑÊÓƵwelcomes several key improvements in today¡¯s TRAN votes:
- Support for SMEs through exemptions from complex data and reporting duties
- Legal clarity by preserving existing rules such as Regulation (EU) No 181/2011
- Fairer responsibility sharing for ticketing and passenger information
- Flexible language rules for reimbursement forms
Despite the improvements, ·¬ÇÑÊÓƵurges lawmakers to address the following outstanding issues before final adoption:
- Unnecessary communication burdens: Requiring dedicated electronic communication channels for all operators, regardless of size or need, adds avoidable complexity
- Heavy reporting demands: New service quality obligations could overwhelm larger operators, particularly those lacking established data systems
- Rigid reimbursement timelines: Fixed refund deadlines overlook the practical difficulties of handling multimodal disruptions across different modes and operators
¡°We fully support strengthening passenger rights,¡± said Raluca Marian. ¡°But doing so in a way that overloads road operators will only reduce the availability and reliability of multimodal services.¡±
·¬ÇÑÊÓƵcalls on EU co-legislators to ensure that the final regulation strikes the right balance between robust passenger protection and the operational realities of each mode. A flexible, mode-sensitive approach is essential for building the truly sustainable and integrated transport networks that Europe needs.
The files now await a plenary vote in the European Parliament.