House Chair Richard Raši (Hlas-SD) and representatives of the Slovak Towns Union (UMS) met to discuss issues of pedestrian safety, speed measurement and the procedure for debating an amendment to the Road Traffic Act in Parliament, which UMS fully supports.
Both sides asserted that the main motive for the amendment is safety and order in road traffic in towns and municipalities, and not financial gain from fines.
The main objective of the working meeting was to create space for local governments to present their opinions and comments on the legislative proposal before it's debated at its second reading. According to the Parliament Office, representatives of local government organisations declared their unequivocal support for adopting and advancing this bill to its second reading at the meeting. They also expressed their agreement with the proposed wording of the amendment to the Road Traffic Act, with the proviso that the second reading should provide an opportunity to discuss any technical reservations in detail and fine-tune the legislation into its final, most effective form.
Although the debate on the amendment has been postponed to the next parliamentary session in April due to insufficient support among coalition MPs, UMS remains confident that it will be passed in the end.
Nitra Mayor Marek Hattas said that UMS supports the amendment to the Road Traffic Act, which also addresses owner liability. "This means that speed measurement would also fall under the remit of municipal police. What we agreed on with the House chair is that safety is a priority for us," he stated, confirming the high number of fatal accidents. According to him, there were 258 such cases in a year, while another 800 people were injured.
"This figure is very high in comparison with the European Union, as well as relative to population size," said Hattas, adding that the situation needs to be addressed, as Slovakia is one of the last EU countries where municipal police don't have such powers.
Interior Ministry State Secretary Michal Kaliňák (Hlas-SD), who also attended the meeting, confirmed the broad consensus on the amendment to the Road Traffic Act, which was prepared by the Interior Ministry. "We've been working hard on this legislation for a year and a half. It went through the standard legislative process," he said, adding that it was approved by the Economic and Social Council and by the government.
The amendment to the Road Traffic Act is also linked to parking policy, he said, referring to certain shortcomings in legislation and in local government practices that have recently been pointed out by the Prosecutor-General's Office. According to Kaliňák, a roundtable to discuss this issue will be held in Parliament next Monday (23 February).
Source: TASR
