MEPs clinch new rights for EU boat passengers

BRUSSELS - Ferry and boat passengers in the EU are to have the same rights to compensation as air travellers following a decision by the European Parliament on Tuesday (6 July).

Under the new regulation, due to enter into force in 2012, ferry and boat users will have the right to assistance and compensation in case of delays and disabled passengers will have the right to free-of-charge help at ports.

The ferry-and-boat bill gives passengers the right to be rerouted or to have the cost of their ticket re-imbursed in case of cancellation or delays of more than 90 minutes, as well as additional compensation of 25 percent of the ticket price.

Operators will be forced to pay for accommodation expenses up to €80 per night if passengers have to stay overnight because of delays.

Under the new rules, they will also be unable to deny a disabled passenger the right to board.

Operators however will be exempted from all of these obligations in case of circumstances that they cannot influence, such as extreme weather conditions.

In a separate piece of legislation, the parliament also wanted bus and coach passengers to enjoy similar rights, but negotiations with the member states on the bill have stalled over a disagreement whether the law should exclude regional transportation and limit itself to just long-distance coach travel.

MEPs want both included, but member states are worried that small local operators would not be able to afford the cost.

The parliament has nevertheless has backed amendments to the draft legislation that would see bus and coach passengers winning the right to their ticket money back or to be rerouted in case of delays in departure of more that two hours, as well as compensation of up to €1800 for lost or damaged baggage.

The parliament and member states are to engage in further talks over the bill to try to overcome their differences.

Speaking in the chamber, British centre-left MEP Brian Simpson criticised the fact the EU agreed to the ship law only not the bus legislation.

"Clearly it would be nonsensical and unfair to have passenger rights in other modes of transport but not buses and coaches," he said. "An agreement that does not include buses and coaches is pretty worthless and incomplete deal."