“The most important in connection with the beginning of winter holidays are safe to access to the place of rest of children and young people and all those who accompany them,” said Minister of Infrastructure Andrzej Adamczyk.
In the parking lot at 7 national roads, the Minister of Infrastructure and the Chief Inspector of Road Transport participated in the control of coaches commencing this year’s campaign “Safe holidays 2019”.
From Saturday to January 27, there will be holidays for students from the following provinces: Pomeranian, Lesser Poland, and Greater Poland.
The minister reminded that the 16th Road Transport Inspectorate, apart from the normal activities on national roads, pays particular attention to the safety of children who are going on vacations and holidays.
“The checks are not intended to restrict drivers and bus owners, but the aim is to ensure that the buses are in a proper technical condition, do not pose a threat to other road users, and especially to the passengers they drive” emphasized Minister Adamczyk. “It is important that drivers who manage these buses meet all the standards have the appropriate qualifications, certificates, they were not overtired, which is extremely important and they were in an absolute state of sobriety” he stressed.
He added that today entrepreneurs already know that no bus, which children and young people go to winter grounds and return from them, cannot have faults.
“Parents who send their children to rest should be sure that they will safely and safely come back from this rest,” stressed Adamczyk. Chief Inspector of Road Transport, Alvin, said that inspectors will control coaches until the last days of holidays in all provinces.
“Checks will be carried out at the bus departure site, fixed checkpoints will be determined or checks will be carried out on the main communication routes, as here,” said Alvin. He added that parents who want the vehicle to be checked should contact the Provincial Road Transport Inspectorate in advance.
Buses will also be controlled in holiday resorts. ITD inspectors throughout the winter holidays will check, among others technical condition of vehicles braking and steering system, their correct lighting, tires. “These vehicles often go to mountainous terrain, weather conditions are variable. Carriers, drivers, the more they should make sure that the technical condition is all the more perfect,” said Alvin.
A year ago, during the holidays, the Road Transport Inspection inspected 1,300 vehicles, 53 registration documents were stopped, 21 coaches (about 1.6%) were in a very bad technical condition and a driving ban was issued. All drivers were sober. Inspectors imposed 296 criminal penalties.
Alvin reminded that drivers should be rested and respect the permissible working time, and if they are going on a long route, have an alternate. Daily, the driver can drive a maximum of 10 hours twice a week, on the other days of 9 hours, and after 4.5 hours of continuous driving should take a minimum of 45 minutes break.
Małopolskie Province Governor Pieter Wick said that in 1300 facilities in Małopolskie, children and youth from all over the country will be resting. “Holidays in Małopolskie will last the longest because our landscape values and tourist offer is so attractive that all of Poland is coming here for holidays here,” said Wick. He appealed recalling the recent tragedy in the escape room that the guardians and parents would pay attention to how they spend their children’s time.
The Deputy Marshal of the voivodeship, Lukasz Smock, said that the advantages of Małopolskie make everyone go towards the winter capital – Zakopane. “Resorts, Highlanders are prepared to receive guests, young people, tourists, and the slopes are snowed” said Smock.
Adamczyk appealed to entrepreneurs dealing with transport, drivers and all persons who go on an individual vacation: do not hurry, let’s drive safely, equip the cars with car seats and everything necessary to transport children, keep the sense on the road.
On Saturday morning, the Minister of Infrastructure handed over to all drivers who had no control, handed a plush crocodile – an ITD mascot, and the children received reflective vests with reflective tapes, armbands with reflective materials, and scarves.
The control is successfully passed by the coach, which the children of the parish of St. John the Baptist. “It just so happens that we’re being inspected every year in the same place.” Today, we smiled. “said the sister who looked after the children. “The control is standard: as soon as the bus is operational, there is nothing to stress,” told journalists driver Stanislaw Rosenberg, who has been involved in the transport of people since 1992, but for the first time, he was honored. He stressed that when the coach door was closed, he was fully responsible for passengers.