IRELAND South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú has been named chief negotiator of the Renew Europe political grouping in the European Parliament on new laws which will strengthen passenger rights and better protect Irish holiday makers against disruptions.
According to Ní Mhurchú, the Covid pandemic highlighted many weaknesses in how passengers were treated by travel and tour companies.
‘During the pandemic, consumers faced mass cancellations and often struggled to get refunds from tour operators and travel agencies for cancelled packages,’ she said.
‘These new proposed laws will look to add protections for travellers with a disability, those booking package holidays and those booking flights through an intermediately service. We will formulate new rules to protect passengers using different types of transport, like buses, trains, and planes, all in one trip, including on minimum connecting times between different transport
services.’
The new proposed EU laws will focus on improving passenger rights for those with disabilities.
For example, airlines often oblige a passenger with disabilities to travel with a companion. This is because the passenger with a disability may need assistance to comply with aviation safety requirements. Under these new proposals, the airline will be obliged to transport the accompanying person free of charge, and when practical, seat this person next to the passenger they are assisting.
This right already exists when travelling by rail, ship or bus.
The new laws will oblige travel providers to publish information which will make travel easier for passengers, such as whether bikes can be taken onto a train, and whether the mode of transport is accessible or not.
A total of 13 billion passengers travel by plane, train, bus or ferry in the EU every year.
