New Road Regulations from March and a Breakthrough Decision for Kraków Airport

Poland stands on the verge of a significant reform of road regulations, which will come into force on March 3, 2026. The most important change is the introduction of the possibility to suspend a driver's license for exceeding the speed limit by more than 50 km/h also outside built-up areas, on single-carriageway two-way roads. Built-up area ceases to be the only zone where one loses driving privileges for three months for flagrant violations. The legislator has also decided to lower the age entitling one to drive category B vehicles to 17 years, provided they travel with an experienced supervisor. The penalty point limits for the least experienced drivers are changing, and new restrictions will affect users of electric scooters, especially children. An absolute crackdown on drifting and dangerous behavior on the road is also being introduced, which involves a drastic increase in fines. In recent years, Poland has been systematically tightening road regulations, aiming for safety standards known from Scandinavian countries, which has resulted in, among other things, pedestrian priority at crossings. Simultaneously, southern Poland celebrates an infrastructure success. Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection has issued the long-awaited environmental decision for the construction of a new runway at Kraków Airport. This investment is critical for the further operation of the airport, as the current runway is in poor technical condition and would require a complete shutdown of traffic for renovation, which would mean paralysis for the region. The new runway will allow for maintaining continuity of flight operations and increasing the capacity of the Balice airport. Although the decision is an environmental decision, which theoretically can be appealed, it constitutes a milestone after years of administrative and legal disputes. The construction of a new runway in Balice has been planned for over a decade, but the process has been repeatedly blocked by complaints from residents of towns neighboring the airport. In cities such as Częstochowa and Grudziądz, we are observing the modernization of the public transport fleet. Modern, long Solaris buses and electric vehicles are joining the fleet, fitting into the nationwide trend of decarbonizing public transport. The police also announce intensified actions as part of the "Hands on the Wheel" campaign, focusing on eliminating the practice of using mobile phones without hands-free kits. The wide range of changes, from navigation to licensing, aims to improve safety statistics on Polish roads, which, despite improvement, still lag behind the EU average. „To historyczna chwila dla Małopolski, która otwiera zupełnie nowe możliwości rozwoju dla naszego portu lotniczego i całego regionu.” (This is a historic moment for Małopolska, which opens completely new development possibilities for our airport and the entire region.) — Łukasz Smółka

Perspektywy mediów: Liberal media emphasize the modernizing aspect of the changes, pointing to the need to improve safety and ecology in public transport. Conservative portals place greater emphasis on costs for drivers and the severity of penalties, often using phrases about „hunting for road pirates”.