This Regulation establishes rules for bus and coach transport as regards the following:

1. (a)

   non-discrimination between passengers with regard to transport conditions offered by carriers;

2. (b)

   rights of passengers in the event of accidents arising out of the use of the bus or coach resulting in death or personal injury or loss of or damage to luggage;

3. (c)

   non-discrimination and mandatory assistance for disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility;

4. (d)

   rights of passengers in cases of cancellation or delay;

5. (e)

   minimum information to be provided to passengers;

6. (f)

   handling of complaints;

7. (g)

   general rules on enforcement.

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions shall apply:

1. (a)

   ‘regular services’ means services which provide for the carriage of passengers by bus or coach at specified intervals along specified routes, passengers being picked up and set down at predetermined stopping points;

2. (b)

   ‘occasional services’ means services which do not fall within the definition of regular services and the main characteristic of which is the carriage by bus or coach of groups of passengers constituted on the initiative of the customer or the carrier himself;

3. (c)

   ‘transport contract’ means a contract of carriage between a carrier and a passenger for the provision of one or more regular or occasional services;

4. (d)

   ‘ticket’ means a valid document or other evidence of a transport contract;

5. (e)

   ‘carrier’ means a natural or legal person, other than a tour operator, travel agent or ticket vendor, offering transport by regular or occasional services to the general public;

6. (f)

   ‘performing carrier’ means a natural or legal person other than the carrier, who actually performs the carriage wholly or partially;

7. (g)

   ‘ticket vendor’ means any intermediary concluding transport contracts on behalf of a carrier;

8. (h)

   ‘travel agent’ means any intermediary acting on behalf of a passenger for the conclusion of transport contracts;

9. (i)

   ‘tour operator’ means an organiser or retailer, other than the carrier, F5as defined in regulation 2(1) (interpretation) of the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018;

10. (j)

    ‘disabled person’ or ‘person with reduced mobility’ means any person whose mobility when using transport is reduced as a result of any physical disability (sensory or locomotory, permanent or temporary), intellectual disability or impairment, or any other cause of disability, or as a result of age, and whose situation needs appropriate attention and adaptation to his particular needs of the services made available to all passengers;

11. (k)

    ‘access conditions’ means relevant standards, guidelines and information on the accessibility of buses and/or of designated terminals including their facilities for disabled persons or persons with reduced mobility;

12. (l)

    ‘reservation’ means a booking of a seat on board a bus or coach for a regular service at a specific departure time;

13. (m)

    ‘terminal’ means a staffed terminal where according to the specified route a regular service is scheduled to stop for passengers to board or alight, equipped with facilities such as a check-in counter, waiting room or ticket office;

14. (n)

    ‘bus stop’ means any point other than a terminal where according to the specified route a regular service is scheduled to stop for passengers to board or alight;

15. (o)

    ‘terminal managing body’ means an organisational entity in F6the United Kingdom responsible for the management of a designated terminal;

16. (p)

    ‘cancellation’ means the non-operation of a regular service which was previously scheduled;

17. (q)

    ‘delay’ means a difference between the time the regular service was scheduled to depart in accordance with the published timetable and the time of its actual departure.

18. (r)

    F7‘relevant authority’ means, as regards Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland devolved authority and, as regards any other part of the United Kingdom, a Minister of the Crown;

19. (s)

    ‘designated terminal’ means:

    • as regards Northern Ireland, a terminal specified in regulation 4 of the 2014/186 Regulations;

    • as regards any other part of the United Kingdom, a terminal specified in regulation 6 of the 2013 Regulations;

20. (t)

    ‘designated complaints body’ means:

    • as regards Northern Ireland, the relevant body specified in regulation 3 of the 2014/180 Regulations or regulation 6 of the 2014/186 Regulations;

    • as regards any other part of the United Kingdom, the relevant body specified in regulation 9(2) of the 2013 Regulations;

21. (u)

    ‘designated enforcement body’ means:

    • as regards Northern Ireland, the relevant body specified in regulation 2 of the 2014/180 Regulations or regulation 5(1) or (2) of the 2014/186 Regulations;

    • as regards any other part of the United Kingdom, the relevant body specified in regulation 8(1) of the 2013 Regulations;

22. (v)

    ‘2013 Regulations’ means the Rights of Passengers in Bus and Coach Transport (Exemptions and Enforcement) Regulations 2013;

23. (w)

    ‘2014/180 Regulations’ means the Bus and Coach Passengers Rights and Obligations (Designation and Enforcement) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014;

24. (x)

    ‘2014/186 Regulations’ means the Bus and Coach Passengers Rights and Obligations (Designation of Terminals, Tour Operators and Enforcement) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014.