What to Do If Your Bus Is Late: Passenger Rights and Tips

Published May 29, 2025|author: Andrii Vovk|Reading time: 3 min

What Can Cause a Bus Delay?

Even the most carefully planned schedule doesn’t guarantee “down-to-the-second” arrivals—there are many variables on the road that drivers and carriers simply can’t predict. Below are the key reasons that most often cause bus schedules to be disrupted.

1. Unexpected weather

Even if you check the forecast daily, blizzards, snowfall, fog, or icy roads can strike suddenly. On dry stretches of road, the driver will try to “catch up” to the schedule, but he won’t exceed speed limits—safety is more important than passengers’ requests.

2. Border and customs

The wait can range from half an hour to five hours. The reason: additional checks of documents or luggage, or temporarily heightened scrutiny by border authorities.

3. Roadwork

Your usual route turns into an adventure if a lane is suddenly closed or road crews appear. Sometimes this adds a few minutes; sometimes, dozens.

4. Scheduled Stops That Run Long

The driver announces the stop time, but if even one person is late, the entire bus has to wait. Fifteen minutes at one stop multiplied by four turns into an hour-long delay.

5. Force majeure

Accidents, breakdowns, road closures—none of these can be predicted. If a replacement bus is needed, it can take several hours to arrive from the depot.

We hope this list explains why even the most punctual route sometimes “slips” off schedule.

The Bus Didn’t Arrive: A Step-by-Step Guide

When a bus is delayed or doesn’t show up at the platform at all, the most important thing is to stay calm and act methodically. Below you’ll find a brief guide to help you quickly determine the cause of the delay, protect your rights, and, if necessary, get a refund or an alternative trip.

Tracking via GPS Tracker

After purchasing a ticket, LikeBus automatically sends you an SMS indicating the bus’s current location—for example: “The bus has crossed the border and is now in Lublin” or “Traveling through Zhytomyr.” This way, you’ll quickly find out where the bus is and how far behind schedule it is.

Cancel a bus ticket

You can cancel your trip and get a refund on LikeBus.ua in just a few minutes—here’s how to do it step by step.

Via email

Send an email with the subject line “Ticket Cancellation Request” to [email protected], including your full name, booking number, date and time of the trip, reason for cancellation, and your contact information.

Wait for a response (up to 14 business days) and your refund.

By phone

Call +38 050 082 82 82 or +38 098 343 82 82.

Provide your booking number and the last 4 digits of your card.

The operator will process the cancellation and initiate the refund.

You can also contact us via one of our messaging apps on the LikeBus homepage. Tap the icon for the messenger of your choice—WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook, or Instagram. Enter your booking number and the keyword “Ticket Cancellation”—the agent will confirm receipt in the chat and initiate the refund process.

месенджери для зв'язку LikeBus

You can find more details on the LikeBus ticket refund page.

Helpful Tips from LikeBus

LikeBus recommends closely monitoring your trip’s status online, keeping your ticket and passport with you, and, in the event of a delay of more than two hours, deciding immediately whether to request a full refund or board the next available alternative bus at no extra charge.

Keep all receipts for expenses incurred during the delay, as they will be needed for potential compensation, and don’t be late so as not to hold up the journey for all passengers. Follow these simple tips—and even unexpected delays won’t ruin your trip.

Author:

Andrii Vovk

Travel expert

Visited 20+ countries, speaks 5 languages, knows where to find the cheapest tickets and how to cross half of Europe with one backpack.

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Hand luggage (HL)	1 units. The linear dimensions of the HL should not exceed 100 cm (height + width + length). Maximum weight - 5 kg. HL is located under the passenger seat or on the luggage rack. It is forbidden to place the HL in the aisle of the bus.
Standard luggage (СБМ)	1 units. The linear dimensions of the SBM should not exceed 160 cm (height + width + length), including wheels, pockets and handles. Maximum weight – 23 кг.
Baby carriage	1 units. For transportation of a child under 3 years old who is a passenger of this bus on the selected flight. Counts as 1 piece of baggage and is transported in the baggage compartment folded and with wheels securely packed (as packaging, you can use a case, plastic film or other dense material)
Wheelchair	1 units. For a passenger who is a person with a disability. Counts as 1 piece of baggage and is transported in the baggage compartment, folded and with wheels securely packed/ (case, plastic film and other dense material can be used as packaging).

Extra baggage (international flight):	Standard luggage (400.00 грн) Linear dimensions should not exceed 160 cm (height + width + length), including wheels, pockets and handles. Maximum weight - 23 kg. It is possible to purchase 1 additional piece of baggage per passenger
Animals (with provision of a separate seat) (100% of the cost of an adult ticket)	If you want to take an animal with you, it must be placed in a cage with a solid bottom, the linear dimensions of which will not exceed 110 cm. Familiarize yourself with the rules for crossing the state border for animals, the necessary certificates and documents are indicated there. You must have them when you board and on the way. Your animal should be placed by the window, your place is closer to the aisle. A full ticket is purchased per animal.
Bike (400.00 грн)	Bicycles are accepted folded and with securely packed wheels (you can use a cover, plastic wrap and other dense material as packaging).
Oversized (%)	Transportation of oversized baggage is carried out only in agreement with the carrier. The price is negotiated upon coordination of transportation (if there is free space in the luggage compartment).

Hand luggage (HL)	The linear dimensions of the HL should not exceed 100 cm (height + width + length). Maximum weight - 5 kg. HL is located under the passenger seat or on the luggage rack. It is forbidden to place the HL in the aisle of the bus.
Standard Baggage(SB)	The linear dimensions of the SB should not exceed 160 cm (height + width + length), including wheels, pockets and handles. Maximum weight - 23 kg
Baby carriage	For transportation of a child under 3 years old who is a passenger of this bus on the selected flight. Counts as 1 piece of baggage and is transported in the baggage compartment folded and with wheels securely packed (you can use a cover, plastic wrap and other dense material as packaging)
Wheelchair	For a passenger who is a person with a disability. Counts as 1 piece of baggage and is transported in the baggage compartment folded and with wheels securely packed (you can use a cover, plastic wrap and other dense material as packaging).

Standard Baggage(SB) (150.00 грн)	The linear dimensions of the SB should not exceed 160 cm (height + width + length) including wheels, pockets. Maximum weight - 23 kg. It is possible to purchase 1 additional piece of baggage per passenger.
Animals (with provision of a separate seat) (100% of the cost of an adult ticket)	If you want to take an animal with you, it must be placed in a cage with a solid bottom, the linear dimensions of which will not exceed 110 cm. Familiarize yourself with the rules for crossing the state border for animals, the necessary certificates and documents are indicated there. You must have them when you board and on the way. Your animal should be placed by the window, your place is closer to the aisle. A full ticket is purchased per animal.
Bicycle (300.00 UAH)	Bicycles are accepted folded and with securely packed wheels (you can use a cover, plastic wrap and other dense material as packaging).
Oversized(%)	Transportation of oversized baggage is carried out only in agreement with the carrier. The price is negotiated upon coordination of transportation (if there is free space in the luggage compartment).