MPs Paulina Matysiak and Claudia Jachira and MP Franciszek Sterczewski addressed an interpreter to the Minister of Digitalization, which reveals a possibly dangerous gap in Polish legislation. They point to the provision of the Traffic Law, which makes it hard to punish drivers on abroad registration numbers for incorrect parking and riding on the pavement. Is there truly a provision that avoids a mandate for breaking the law?
Legal gap that prevents punishing for inappropriate parking
Under applicable law, specifically Article 80k(6) of the Act Traffic law, police and city defender cannot ask the National Contact Point to find the identity of drivers who have broken the rules on parking and walking on the pavement. This applies to drivers of vehicles registered in another European Union countries. In practice, this means that people who park contrary to regulations on abroad registration plates can avoid a mandate due to the fact that Polish services do not have the tools to establish their identity.
Interpelation of Members: What Action Will the Ministry Take?
MPs Paulina Matysiak and Claudia Jachira and Franciszek Sterczewski in their interpelling to the Minister of Digitization ask whether it is planned to seal the rules in order to let the exchange of information in the case of parking and footpath traffic offences. They besides wonder what another solutions the ministry sees to guarantee effective punishment for drivers outside the European Union who violate Polish regulations.
Problems Scale: How Many Offences Are Unpunished?
In their letter, Members draw attention to statistic that show the scale of the problem. Only 16.7 1000 vehicle disposal facilities were issued for almost 218 000 offences against safety and order and about 10.9 1000 cars were disabled. This suggests that mandates are a key tool in law enforcement, and their absence in the case of drivers on abroad registration plates can lead to a sense of impunity.
Does Poland lose to Europe?
Members stress that the legal gap is detrimental to Poland, due to the fact that Polish drivers are being punished for misparking in another EU countries, while abroad drivers can avoid liability in Poland. This situation can lead to frustration and a sense of injustice among citizens, which further underlines the request to amend the rules.
What's next with punishing drivers on abroad registration numbers?
The interpelling of Members addressed to the Minister of Digitalism may be the beginning of a discussion on the request to amend the rules. The introduction of mechanisms to enforce penalties from abroad drivers may be essential to guarantee equality towards law and effective enforcement on Polish roads.
The discovered loophole in the law can be a serious problem in enforcing the provisions on incorrect parking and walking on the pavement. Members pay attention to the request to seal it so that there are no situations where abroad drivers may feel unpunished. Changes in law may prove crucial to maintaining order and safety on Polish roads.
Read more:
A fresh loophole in the law. They can't issue a parking ticket.
