Common rules for international carriage by coach and bus (amend. Regulation (EEC) No 684/92)

In adopting the report by Mr Mark KILLILEA (UPE, Irl), Parliament approved the Commission proposal which clarifies the existing rules for the international carriage of passengers by bus (urban transport) and coach (road transport), while proposing amendments aimed at removing the risks of unfair competition and social dumping. Parliament insisted inter alia on: - the principle of reducing road traffic in the Community while respecting the right of users to choose their mode of transport; - the classification of international coach and bus services as regular and non-regular services, which implies the abolition of the concepts of special regular service, occasional services and shuttle service; - the need to make the international carriage of passengers by road for hire or reward and own -account operations subject to a Community licence issued by means of administrative procedures which are straightforward and do not constitute a burden for transport undertakings; - the need to exclude urban and regional carriage in frontier areas from the scope of the Regulation until such time as the Council has adopted a regulation on the franchising of public services; - the total accessibility of all inter-city coaches, especially at European long-distance level; - meeting the legal requirements concerning social benefits and road safety in respect of the rules applying to drivers and vehicles; - the need to launch negotiations with third countries on the subject of non-occasional international passenger transport by bus. �