Bus and coach passenger rights | Traficom
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Transport and Communications Agency

Bus and coach passenger rights

If your bus or coach service is cancelled or delayed by more than two hours, you can choose re-routing or cancel the journey and be reimbursed for the ticket price. If you have not been offered this choice, you can also demand compensation for 50% of the ticket price.

Always contact the carrier first

In the event of a problem, complain to the carrier operating the service within three (3) months. You can submit your complaint on the company website.

Learn about your rights in different situations

Your right to compensation applies to regular bus and coach services in the EU, if the distance of the service is at least 250 km. The EU regulation concerning the rights of passengers in bus and coach transport also applies to services between Finland and Norway.

The right does not apply to charter services.

Regulation (EU) No 181/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the rights of passengers in bus and coach transport will be applied to regular services between Finland and Russia as of 1 March 2021.

In the event of a cancellation or delayed departure, you have the right to be informed of the situation and the estimated departure time as soon as possible and in any event no later than 30 minutes after the scheduled departure time.

If you miss a connecting service because of the cancellation or delay, the carrier or terminal managing body must give you information about alternative connections.

If your journey is scheduled to last more than three hours and its departure from the bus or coach terminal is delayed by more than 90 minutes, the carrier must offer you free of charge the following care and assistance: 

  • snacks, meals or refreshments in reasonable relation to the waiting time, provided they are available on the bus or in the terminal, or can reasonably be supplied
  • a hotel room or other accommodation as well as assistance to arrange transport between the terminal and the place of accommodation if a stay of one or more nights becomes necessary.

For each passenger, the carrier may limit the total cost of accommodation to EUR 80 per night and for a maximum of two nights.

Please note that you are not entitled to accommodation, if the cancellation or delay is caused by severe weather conditions or major natural disasters endangering the safe operation of bus or coach services.

If your bus or coach service is cancelled, its departure from a terminal or bus stop is delayed by more than 2 hours or the service has been overbooked, you have the right to choose between the following alternatives:

  • continuation or re-routing to the final destination, at no additional cost
  • cancellation of the journey and reimbursement of the ticket price. You are also entitled to a return service by bus or coach free of charge to the first point of departure at the earliest opportunity.

If you decide to cancel your journey, the carrier must refund the ticket price within 14 days after it has received your request. You may request reimbursement for the part or parts of the journey not made and for the part or parts already made if the journey no longer serves any purpose in relation to your original travel plan.

In case of travel passes or season tickets, the payment must be equal to the journey’s proportional part of the full cost of the pass or ticket. The reimbursement must be paid in money, unless you accept another form of reimbursement.

If you are not offered the choice between cancellation and re-routing, you have the right to compensation amounting to 50 % of the ticket price, in addition to the reimbursement of the ticket price. This compensation must be paid within one month. 

Breakdown of a bus or coach

If the bus or coach becomes inoperable during the journey, the carrier must provide one of the following options:

  • continuation of the service with another vehicle
  • transport to a suitable waiting point or terminal from where the journey can be continued.

Accidents

In the event of an accident, the carrier must see to the passengers’ immediate needs. Such assistance includes accommodation, food, clothes, transport and first aid.

For each passenger, the carrier may limit the total cost of accommodation to EUR 80 per night and for a maximum of two nights.

CONTACT THE CORRECT AUTHORITY

If the carrier's response is unsatisfactory, contact the authority overseeing passenger rights. Make sure you contact the right authority.

If you were travelling in another EU country, send your complaint to the relevant authority in the country where the incident took place. .

Authorities in Finland

In Finland, the relevant authority depends on whether you were travelling as a consumer or as a business traveller. 

Consumer

You are considered a consumer if you travel for leisure and pay for your own flights. . Consumer complaints are resolved by the Consumer Disputes Board.

Business traveller

You are considered a business traveller if you travel for work and your employer pays your flights. Business travellers may contact Traficom. Please note, however, that Traficom does not handle individual compensation cases or disputes or respond individually to reports from business travellers. 

How to make a complaint

  • Step 1

    First contact the carrier

    In the event of a problem, always first contact the carrier operating the service. You must lodge your complaint within three months.  

  • Step 2

    Await the carrier’s response

    Within one month of receiving your complaint, the carrier must inform you of whether your complaint has been substantiated, rejected or is still being considered. 

    The carrier must give you a final reply within three months of receiving your complaint. 

  • Step 3

    Choose the correct authority

    If the carrier's response is unsatisfactory, contact the authority overseeing passenger rights. Make sure you complain to the right authority.

    In Finland, the relevant authority depends on whether you are a consumer or a business traveller. 

    According to law, you are a consumer if you were travelling for leisure and paid for the journey yourself. . Consumer complaints are resolved by the Consumer Disputes Board. 

    If you were travelling in another EU country, send your complaint to the relevant authority in the country where the incident took place. .

  • Step 4

    Business travellers may contact Traficom

    Business travellers can contact Traficom by e-mail. Attach your correspondence with the carrier, a copy of your ticket, and any other relevant documents.

    Please note that Traficom does not handle individual compensation cases or disputes or respond individually to reports from business travellers. 

    Send information of the incident to .

    If your message contains personal information, you can send it as a secure message. Instructions for sending secure email to Traficom.

    If you cannot send the documents by e-mail, you can send them to Traficom by post: Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom, PO Box  320, 00059 TRAFICOM, Finland.

  • Step 5

    Traficom can give you advice

    Traficom enforces bus and coach passengers' rights in general level and may give you advice. 

    Please note that Traficom does not handle individual compensation cases or disputes or respond individually to reports from business travellers. 

    With enforcement measures, Traficom ensures that your rights are fulfilled and that the carriers comply with their obligations.

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