2nd September 2025
The Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson in Lithuania determined that the company Kautra failed to provide proper accessibility for a person with a mobility disability during a bus trip. For violating the Law on Equal Treatment, the carrier received a warning.
Request Made According to the Rules
A man with a mobility disability, who filed the complaint, had planned a bus trip from Kaunas to Druskininkai. He had informed the carrier in advance about his need to travel on a bus equipped with a lift adapted for passengers with disabilities. However, on the day of the trip, a bus without a lift arrived, and he was only able to board with the help of the driver and other passengers.
Kautra explained that only its newest buses are equipped with lifts, so their assignment to specific routes must be planned in advance. Therefore, a passenger who needs a bus adapted for people with disabilities must notify the company by email at least 36 hours before the trip. The complainant, however, had informed the company about his needs 26 days in advance. Despite this, company representatives admitted that Kautra could not ensure an adapted bus due to human error – because of the staff vacation schedule, the information about the passenger’s needs was not passed on to the planning department.
Failure to Provide Proper Accessibility Violates Human Dignity
Although the company ultimately provided transport service, admitted the mistake, apologized to the passenger, and offered him compensation, the Ombudsperson concluded that the Law on Equal Treatment had been violated – the company failed to properly fulfill its duty to ensure equal conditions for all consumers, regardless of disability.
“Persons with disabilities have the right to travel independently. Situations where accessibility is not ensured, even when the required equipment has been requested in advance, harm human dignity,” emphasized Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson Birutė Sabatauskaitė.
The Ombudsperson recommended that the company improve internal procedures so that information about individual passengers’ needs is passed on to the responsible departments in a timely manner, and that every person with a disability who notifies the company in advance is provided with accessible services suitable for independent use.