Using daily public transport, few people think about issues such as the rights and obligations of passengers. As a result, once in a conflict or emergency, a person simply does not know how to behave. Thus, legal literacy is an objective necessity even in everyday life.
Passenger Rights
The rights and obligations of passengers should be known to anyone who uses public transport. Unfortunately, the first category includes not so many points. Passengers have the following rights:
- on timely, high-quality and safe travel to your destination;
- to receive complete and reliable information about the conditions and route of movement, as well as compensation for harm caused in case of emergency;
- to transport children under the age of 7 years at no cost;
- Carry the following for free:
- carry-on baggage;
- a stroller, sled, a pair of skis or a bicycle;
- birds and small animals in a cage;
- a dog on a short leash and in a muzzle;
- a cat;
- medium-sized garden tools, the sharp parts of which are packed;
- resolve disputes and claims in court.
Passenger Responsibilities
When receiving a transport service, a person often only remembers his rights. Meanwhile, the duties of passengers are much more extensive. So, the public transport user must:
- carry documents certifying the right to travel (ticket, travel card, certificate confirming a privileged category);
- pay for travel and stamp the purchased one-time coupon;
- keep the ticket until the end of the trip;
- when transporting large luggage, pay for each unit;
- empty the cabin upon arrival at the final stop;
- provide travel documents at the request of the driver, controller or officials;
- take care of equipping the vehicle interior;
- observe cleanliness and public order;
- Do not linger at the front door and do not obscure the passage with luggage and other objects;
- Do not interfere with the opening and closing of doors, as well as the entry and exit of passengers;
- take care of personal safety, holding onto the handrails;
- give way to older people, people with disabilities, pregnant women and passengers with children;
- prepare in advance for the exit without delaying the driver at the bus stop;
- when finding forgotten things, return them to the driver, conductor or dispatcher (if you are traveling to the final stop).
What is forbidden to the passenger?
The responsibilities of pedestrians and passengers are closely related to the whole list of prohibitions. So, in public transport the following cannot be done:
- to distract while driving the driver with extraneous conversations and the purchase of tickets;
- enter the driver’s cab;
- carry explosive, flammable and poisonous substances, as well as piercing objects and weapons without a cover;
- pollute the interior of the vehicle;
- enter the vehicle while intoxicated;
- turn on music loudly;
- to put luggage on the seats;
- without apparent need to use the alarm system;
- throw garbage and other foreign objects out of the windows of the vehicle.
Features of the validity of travel documents
The rights and obligations of a passenger in transport are inextricably linked with the payment for the service provided. The validity of travel documents has the following features:
- season tickets are valid only in the locality in which they were purchased;
- a travel ticket, subscription or preferential certificate does not imply free baggage;
- preferential tickets are valid only if the passenger has documents confirming this privilege.
Controller and features of his work
The rights and obligations of the passenger are, of course, very important points, and people need to possess such information. But participants in such contractual relationships as passenger transportation are not only the citizens themselves who use the services of the carrier, but also the crew. Next, we touch on some of the nuances of the controller's work and its interaction with people in the cabin. This is an employee who monitors the full and timely payment by citizens of the transport services provided to them. He has the right:
- out of turn to enter the vehicle through the front door;
- check that passengers comply with the established rules;
- seize invalid travel documents.
The controller is required to:
- carry an official ID and a badge with a personal number (it is desirable that it be attached to the front side of outer clothing);
- have the means necessary to measure the weight and size of baggage;
- notify the driver of the start of control;
- at the request of the passenger, present an official certificate, badge, and provide contact information of the transport company (name, address and phone number);
- make appropriate notes on the control in the reporting documentation.
Many people are distrustful of controllers in tracksuits, jeans, coats, and other civilian clothes. Many even refuse to show them travel documents. Nevertheless, the job description does not spell out the presence of the form, and therefore a token and a certificate are used for identification. To respond to the request of the controller who presented such documents is the direct responsibility of passengers in public transport.
How to behave if you do not have a ticket?
The most important issue is the rights and obligations of the passenger. OBZh teaches us to observe safety precautions, but does not teach us to be legally literate. Of course, paying your fare is your direct responsibility. But you should know how to behave if for some reason you didn’t have a ticket (you didn’t have time to buy or validate before the arrival of the controller, due to life circumstances you didn’t have cash with you):
- ask the official to provide a certificate and a badge and rewrite their data (or take a picture);
- in a calm and polite tone, explain the reason why you didn’t have a ticket (or it was not validated);
- if the controller insists that you have to pay the fine, but you don’t have enough money with you, offer to draw up a protocol of violation for further transfer to the appropriate authorities (the inspector has the right to drop you off at the next stop);
- if you pay the fine on the spot, the controller is required to issue you a receipt;
- if you were in the transport no more than one stop, and there are witnesses to it, such a journey is not considered to be stowaway (according to the legislation and the rules for using public transport), and therefore the controller must drop you out of the vehicle without any sanctions;
- if, by force, it will prevent you from getting out of the vehicle, you have every right to apply to the law enforcement bodies with a corresponding statement.
Remember that the inspector does not have the right to shout at you, humiliate, use physical force, detain you in transport, and even more so - check your money availability. At the same time, you also can’t raise your voice on the controller or give up your hands, because, in addition to paying a fine, you can also be brought to administrative responsibility.
Conclusion
The rights and obligations of pedestrians and passengers are closely intertwined with those of drivers, controllers and other persons. In order not to take offense or accidentally become an offender, each user of public transport must be legally savvy.