Vedaja

Vedaja is a term used in Estonian to denote the carrier or transporter in the context of freight and passenger transport. It refers to the party that undertakes to move goods or people from a starting point to a destination under a contract of carriage. The vedaja can be an individual, a transport company, a bus or train operator, an airline, a shipping line, or another legal entity acting as the carrier. The word is common in logistics, transport contracts, insurance documents, and public procurement related to transportation services.

In legal and contractual terms, the vedaja is the party responsible for performing the transport task and for delivering the cargo or passengers as agreed. Liability for loss, damage, or delay of the transported goods typically falls on the vedaja under the terms of the carriage contract and applicable law. In international or cross-border transport, liability may be shaped by national statutes as well as international conventions applicable to the mode of transport, such as the CMR Convention for road transport or the relevant maritime and air conventions.

The concept covers various modes of transport, including road, rail, sea, and air, and may also encompass entities that act as carriers through subcontracting or freight forwarding. The term is used across legal, commercial, and insurance contexts to identify the party responsible for the carriage of goods or passengers and for meeting the obligations set out in the carriage agreement.