Left-wing MP accuses government of PR stunt over new railway crossing penalties

Following the deadly collision in Sokolniki Suche, where an Intercity "Koziołek" train struck a truck, killing one passenger and injuring twenty, the ruling coalition announced plans to suspend driving licences for three months for drivers who breach red-light rules at railway level crossings. Minister of Infrastructure Dariusz Klimczak also signalled changes to the criminal code that could impose prison sentences and driving bans in the most serious cases.

Independent parliamentarian Paulina Matysiak said she would back the licence-suspension provision but warned that the overall bill is too narrow and had been omitted from legislation despite being ready a year earlier. She labeled the timing a public-relations maneuver and highlighted the need for broader deployment of Red Light camera systems, which currently operate at only ten crossings, as well as safety improvements at unprotected "category D" crossings that lack barriers. Matysiak emphasized that many accidents occur at these sites and called for urgent action.