Terms and conditions

• Vegagerðin (IRCA) owns and operates the provincial buses, while Strætó provides certain information and services for passengers.
• “Passenger” refers to any individual who pays for transportation in a provincial bus.
• “Fare Payment” can refer to either a single payment (made in cash or with a travel ticket) or travel cards that are valid for a set period of time or for the whole year.
• “Luggage” refers to any object transported in a provincial bus, whether such an object relates to passengers or not.
• “Hand Luggage” refers to all luggage that passengers carry with them during their travels in a provincial bus.

Passengers are obligated to provide fare payment in the amount stipulated by Vegagerðin´s fare rates at any given time.

Tickets and travel cards are non-refundable, and Strætó BS reserves the right to take up to ten (10) business days to produce and supply a travel card.

Individual fare payments can be made in the form of cash payments or through a travel ticket.

Copying or falsifying fare payments is illegal; anyone found to partake in such activities or making use of such measures will immediately be reported to the police and charged with a crime.

 

During their travel, passengers must obey driver’s instructions.

If passengers are found to take part in indecent activities onboard a provincial bus—or if they in other ways behave inappropriately towards the driver or other passengers—this might lead to the offending passengers being expelled from the coach.

Passengers must treat one another with respect and consideration during travel.

• All customers are expected to wear seat belts on board provincial buses.
  • Children under the age of three must use an approved child car seat, booster cushion or other special safety or protective equipment. Customers must bring their own safety or protective equipment for children under the age of three.

Passengers may travel with luggage onboard provincial buses, but each passenger should be able to carry said luggage onboard or place it in the luggage bay without requiring assistance. Strætó BS is not responsible for passengers’ luggage, whether onboard or in the luggage bay, except in the case of collisions, accidents or other unforeseen events.

• Drivers have the right to refuse luggage rights to passengers wishing to travel with luggage that might affect the health and happiness of other passengers during travel; e.g. on account of smell, noise or size.
• Pets are not allowed onboard provincial buses.
• Explosives, combustible materials, chemicals or poisons are not allowed onboard.
• Guns, firearms and weapons may be transported on provincial buses on the condition that they remain in the luggage bay for the entire journey. Guns, firearms and weapons are not allowed in the passenger compartment. When travelling with a firearm, the firearm must be unloaded. The case containing the firearm must not contain any ammunitions. Firearms must be stored in cases that have an exterior made of wood, aluminium or fibre-reinforced plastic. The interior of the case must provide protection against collisions and sudden movements and the firearm must be secured in such a way that it can in no way cause any danger in the case of accidents during travel.
• Bicycles are allowed onboard depending on conditions and available capacity but note that in some buses it is not possible to travel with bicycles.
  • In provincial areas, coaches on major routes have bicycle racks at the back of the bus where 3-4 bicycles can be mounted at a time. Collapsible bicycles may also be stored in the luggage bay depending on available capacity.
  • Provincial routes with smaller coaches do not offer bicycle racks but bicycles may be stored in the luggage bay or in the passenger compartment depending on conditions and available capacity.
  • Route 55, which travels between Reykjavik and Keflavik International Airport, does not offer a bicycle rack. Bicycles may be brought onboard, depending on conditions and available capacity, but only as long as passengers travelling with bicycles have already collapsed and secured their bicycles for travel when the coach arrives.
• Food and drink may be consumed onboard provincial coaches given proper hygiene and cleanliness.

Children travelling with provincial bus the responsibility of their parents or guardians. Parents or guardians wishing to let their child travel alone—especially on longer routes—should familiarize themselves with the directives presented by the Office of the Ombudsman for Children and not place undue responsibility on their child. Furthermore, in many cases regulations dictate that children have increased responsibilities after the age of 15; e.g. responsibilities concerning the welfare of other children (further information can be found here).

Vegagerðin also brings attention to sec. 92 of the Child Protection Act which stipulates childrens’ curfew hours.

It’s vital that children be adequately prepared for travel by their guardians:

• Children must know when and where they are to exit the coach or change coaches.
• Children must be aware of at what point they need to change coaches in order to complete their journey and also be conscious of not vacating the coach except when the coach’s schedule dictates that it rests at a coach stations for 10 minutes or more.
• Assurances must be made to see to it that someone will be waiting to gather the child at the destination.
• Children should be instructed to sit as near to the front of the coach as possible.
• If at all possible, children should travel with a mobile phone containing the phone numbers of their primary guardians.

Children aged 10 years or younger cannot travel alone onboard provincial buses. Children aged 10 years or younger must have a travelling companion over the age of 15 for the entirety of their travel. On June 1 of the year children turn 10, they can travel alone on a provincial bus without a companion (after 4th grade).

Children under the age of 10 are not allowed to travel alone on provincial buses, and if they are not accompanied by an older child or adult, they will not be allowed into the coach.

Vegagerðin is not responsible for any children travelling onboard provincial buses; this includes responsibility for ensuring whether the child enters or exits the coach at the correct juncture. Children travelling onboard provincial buses are the responsibility of their guardians.

• All customers are expected to wear seat belts on board provincial buses.
  • Children under the age of three must use an approved child car seat, booster cushion or other special safety or protective equipment. Customers must bring their own safety or protective equipment for children under the age of three.

Provincial routes operate according to timetable as it stands at any given time.

Strætó BS reserves the right to cancel trips and/or amend them due to unforeseen circumstances out of the company’s control; e.g. poor weather conditions, union strikes etc.

Strætó BS is liable for damages in the case of passengers or their luggage or hand luggage coming to harm due to the criminal conduct of the coach’s driver.

Strætó BS is not responsible for delays or cancellations due to circumstances beyond the company’s control.

Strætó BS is not responsible for any direct or indirect financial cost or harm suffered by passengers due to cancellations or delays that result from force majeure.

Strætó BS reserves the right to transport luggage which is abandoned on the company’s coaches to a storage location at the cost, responsibility and own-risk of the relevant passenger or owner of said luggage.

If a trip is cancelled or departure is delayed, passengers have the right to be informed of the immediate state of affairs; e.g. regarding rescheduled departure and arrival time. This information should be accessible through announcements on Strætó BS’s website or through Strætó BS’s Twitter account.

In the case of a provincial coach being forced to halt mid-route and seek assistance due to weather conditions, passengers have the right to reimbursed fare or the right to continue their journey with the next available coach as soon as conditions allow. Passengers might have to offer proof of fare payment by presenting receipts. If passengers are stranded overnight due to weather conditions, Strætó BS is responsible for providing them with lodgings at a hotel or hostel. The general rule is that passengers wait at their lodgings for the next scheduled route on timetable—unless specific circumstances or conditions call for further actions.

On the condition of providing prior announcements and advertisements on the company’s website and/or in the media, Vegagerðin reserves the right to amend the company’s terms and conditions, fare rates and timetables at any given time.

 

In the case of disputes regarding services rendered arising between Strætó BS and its passengers, both parties shall make efforts to settle said dispute. If this is not possible the dispute shall be brought to the District Court of Reykjavik.

 

These terms and condition are valid from January 16, 2019 and apply to all transportation of passengers and luggage by provincial buses.