Under the amended Railway Transport Act, attacking a train service employee will carry a prison sentence of up to 12 years.
– This is a historic moment for the Polish railway. It is good to know that legal protection against potential incidents will be adequate to the nature of the work performed by train managers and conductors. We appealed to the legislature to amend the Railway Transport Act as early as June 2018, following the attack on Koleje Dolnośląskie conductors. I am pleased that pressure from the railway community will result in increased safety for employees of transport companies – says Damian Stawikowski, president of Koleje Dolnośląskie, adding: – In addition, this amendment raises the standing of public transport, which is becoming increasingly important in Poland.
The amendments to the Railway Transport Act and the Public Collective Transport Act will make not only railway workers feel safer. The changes also apply to employees of other public transport companies, including city bus and tram drivers.
The amendments will enter into force after the vacatio legis period has expired (i.e. 14 days after the amendments to the acts are published); violations of a railway worker’s bodily integrity will be prosecuted ex officio by the prosecutor’s office.