Photo from facebook.com/ECOLINES
The Ecolines bus transportation service has admitted its employee's mistake that did not let a Ukrainian family of four go to Bulgaria as one of them wanted to use a biometric passport for visa-free travel.
"The bus attendant has made a mistake while performing her duty. The visa-free rules entered into force not long ago, and the lack of experience resulted in the employee's incompetence in handling [passengers departing] for Varna from Kyiv," the company said on Facebook on Monday, June 26.
Read alsoOnly 17 Ukrainians refused entry into EU – border guardsTo prevent such incidents in future, the company says it plans to train its employees so that they know what documents are necessary for visa-free travel.
The bus operator apologized to the affected passengers, saying it is trying to contact them to offer compensation for the lost trip.
The Ecolines bus transportation service on June 25 refused to transport a 12-year-old Ukrainian girl with a biometric passport, which does not require an EU visa, as a result of which the entire four-member family – the parents with the girl and her three-year brother – canceled the trip.