The European Parliament has adopted controversial new road transport rules, despite protests by Poland and other eastern EU states that the move would harm their trucking companies. The rules give truck drivers working abroad the right to return home every three to four weeks. They also require trucks to return to their company’s headquarters every eight weeks. MEPs from Poland’s ruling conservative Law and Justice party as well as from main opposition Civic Platform party sought to change the regulations and submitted a number of amendments to the package. But the amendments were rejected by Euro deputies. States from Central and Eastern Europe argued that the regulations are a protectionist measure by Western governments which want to push more competitive companies from countries such as Poland out of their markets.
Source: Polskie Radio
Today is the last day of campaigning in the second and final round of the Polish presidential election.
The incumbent president, Andrzej Duda is facing off against Civic Platform Candidate and Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, after the first round results showed Duda with 43.5% of the vote and Trzaskowski with 30.5%. Duda required 50% or more of the vote to secure victory in the first round. The 2nd round of voting takes place on Sunday during a media black-out. Exit polls will be available from about 10pm on Sunday and the results should be known in full by Monday afternoon.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Warsaw police have said they will step up alcohol and drug tests on bus drivers in the Polish capital in a bid to cut accidents.
The move was announced after a city bus hit four parked vehicles and a lamppost in the capital this week. A female passenger was taken to hospital with bruises. Police said the 25-year-old driver tested positive for methamphetamine and was detained. Meanwhile, in a dramatic accident last month, a bus plunged off an overpass in Warsaw, killing one person and injuring over 20. The Warsaw prosecutor’s office stated that the driver of that vehicle had been driving while under the influence of amphetamines.
Source: Polskie Radio
It was only three weeks ago that a cyclist tried to cycle through the road tunnel under the Dead Vistula river that runs for around a kilometre under the city’s docks and port.
The tunnel is prohibited to bicycles and pedestrians but the man managed to cycle through the tunnel, pulling a child’s bike trailer with his young son inside. This week again it appears that the same thing has happened again with another cyclist attempting to do the same thing as reported by trojmiasto.pl. A spokeswoman for the Gdańsk Departament of Road infrastructure and Green spaces said that as well as being very dangerous due to potential air drafts from large trucks and fast moving vehicles, it is also a offence for which you can be fined.
Source: trojmiasto.pl
Weather
Today will be a mild day with thundery showers and a gentle breeze and temperatures reaching 20 degrees centigrade (68 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day, dropping to 11 degrees centigrade overnight. Saturday will be a sunny day with scattered clouds in a moderate breeze with temperatures reaching 18 degrees centigrade during the day, and 10 degrees overnight.
MC/RGEN
