EU Passenger Rights Information Campaign Launches Today in Piraeus
A campaign on passenger rights will launch today, 27 June, at the Piraeus Port Authority within the framework of the European Commission’s new campaign to inform travelers about their passenger rights and how to claim them if needed.
The launch will take place 12 noon to 2pm by Fotis Karamitsos, Director at the Directorate-General Mobility and Transport of the Commission.
According to research, two-thirds of passengers are not aware of their rights.
“For the first time, millions of holiday-makers traveling in the EU this summer will be protected by comprehensive passenger rights – whether traveling by air or rail, and now also by ship, bus and coach,” the European Commission said.
Launching the campaign
The new campaign officially launched 26 June in Brussels by Siim Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission, responsible for mobility and transport. Besides Athens, the campaign will also launch in Sofia and an air passenger rights information day will be held in Warsaw.
As part of a new two-year campaign, eye-catching posters will hang in airports, ports, bus and train stations across Europe, and leaflets and online information will be available in all EU languages. This new campaign builds on the existing one, and will focus particularly on raising awareness of the new maritime passenger rights, and bus and coach passenger rights.
Why this new campaign?
- 59% of EU air travelers are unaware of their rights while traveling, 34% are aware and 7% don’t know about their rights.
- 66% of EU citizens are not aware of their contractual rights when purchasing a transport ticket, 34% are aware.
- One in six Europeans suffers from a disability. In addition, an ageing European population means that there will be a continuously growing number of passengers who need special assistance because of a disability or reduced mobility. One objective of the passenger rights legislation is to allow disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility to have the same possibilities to travel as other citizens.
- The EU is the first area in the world with a comprehensive set of passenger rights for all modes of transport (air, rail, waterborne, bus and coach). People need to know more about the rights they now have under EU law.
For more information, press here.