If the bill is endorsed by the upper house and signed into law by the president, the minimum legal age to ride an electric scooter on public roads in Poland will increase to 13.
The Ministry of Infrastructure called the package a tool against repeat offenders. Minister Dariusz Klimczak said the law will improve safety for children and teenagers, who often use personal transport devices.
He added that new rules aim to instill good habits in young drivers, and to make clear that drinking and driving do not mix.
The helmet rule will also apply when a young rider is under a parent’s or legal guardian’s supervision.
Children carried in an approved seat, or in a purpose-built passenger bicycle with factory-installed seat belts that prevent helmet use, are exempt.
Lawmakers rejected a bid by the leftist Razem group to exclude cyclists from the helmet rule and to standardize penalties for speeding above 50 km per hour across all road types.
They also voted down proposals from the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party to raise fines for riding onto zebra crossings and to ban cyclists from riding side by side in the roadway.
License suspension, demerit points
The law targets drivers who ignore a temporary license suspension. A motorist who drives during such a suspension and is stopped by police will lose the license permanently, then may reapply after five years.
The measure also ends the practice of wiping demerit points for serious offenses through training.
The amendment restores the category B driver’s license for 17-year-olds with written parental or guardian consent.
For the first six months, or until turning 18, the young driver must be supervised by a person at least 25 years old with five years of driving experience, and may drive only in Poland.
In addition, the new regulation opens the way to license revocation for speeding by more than 50 km per hour, including outside built-up areas.
Other changes raise the top speed for farm tractors from 30 to 40 km per hour, allow emergency medical service vehicles to use bus lanes designated by local authorities, and increase the number of military vehicles permitted in a column.
Electric and hydrogen vehicles may continue to use bus lanes until December 31, 2027.
Rules for provincial driving-test centers are loosened. Examiners may run a business, but cannot work as driving instructors at the same time, in line with European Union law.
Tests may be ended early to protect examiner safety, for example in cases of dangerous behavior, aggression or other hard-to-predict risks.
Support for the bill was mixed across parties. The vote was 241 in favor, 28 against, and 174 abstentions.
Most provisions will take effect three months after publication, with some exceptions spelled out in the text.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP