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Increased consumer protection for ship passengers well underway
On 9 October 2009, the EU Ministers of Transport reached political agreement about a proposal that will improve the rights of ship passengers.
The rights concerned are general rights for all passengers in case of delays and special rights for the physically disabled, who are as a general rule ensured the same access as everybody else to transport by sea.
Now negotiations will take place between the European Parliament and the Council before it is possible to finally adopt the proposal.
Director General of the Danish Maritime Authority Andreas Nordseth says:
- Now ship passengers all over EU are about to have the same rights. In the Danish view, that is a positive development.
- This is not least true of the physically disabled, who must get the assistance needed to be able to travel as other passengers.
The proposal extends the scope of similar regulations that apply to airline and railroad passengers.
In addition to the regulations on assistance for disabled persons, there will be minimum requirements for information of all passengers, regulations on assistance in case a journey is interrupted, compensation in case of delays and rights of complaint.
Only minor crossings and island ferries where the ships actually function as a kind of floating bridge between the island and the mainland are exempted from the new EU regulations.
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