Third Reading of the Bill on Amendments to the Traffic Act and the Police and Border Guard Act (429 SE)
Session: 15th Estonian Parliament, 3rd session, plenary session.
Date: 2024-06-12 20:38
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 18
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 21m
AI Summaries: 18/18 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The third reading addressed Draft Act 429, initiated by the Government of the Republic, concerning amendments to the Traffic Act and the Police and Border Guard Act. The objective of the draft was to open negotiations and implement amendments related to traffic organization and the safety of light traffic, primarily focusing on current stopping and parking regulations. During the discussion, attention was drawn to the collaborative nature of the process: the draft was presented to the committee, and representatives of interest groups were involved, specifically the Estonian Logistics and Freight Forwarding Association, the Estonian Car Owners' Union, and the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They confirmed that the proposed amendments involved the repeal or invalidation of § 20 subsection [6], which, in turn, could impact the safety of pedestrians and other road users and potentially lead to violations. At the same time, they noted that designated stopping or loading zones could be marked in cities; specific parking requirements do not seem sustainably feasible. Consequently, the majority of participants felt it was not prudent to adopt the law in this exact form and recommended continued collaborative work to ensure it accounts for real-world conditions. While the core of the draft established steps to ensure greater safety and convenience for all road users, beneficial changes for supply chain fluidity (e.g., courier services, loading food supplies) were also discussed.
Decisions Made 1
Following the third reading, the Riigikogu adopted Bill 429, initiated by the Government of the Republic, concerning amendments to the Traffic Act and the Police and Border Guard Act; the result of the final vote was: 55 in favor, 14 against, with no abstentions.
Most Active Speaker
The most active was Mart Maastiku (pid TTBOpGaQCWM), the representative of the Isamaa faction, who, through his speeches and contributions, drew attention to the main impacts of the changes and took a leading role in the discussion; his position is right-wing.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The Riigikogu is debating the third reading of Draft Bill 429 regarding amendments to the Traffic Act and the Police and Border Guard Act, and decides to open the debate, following which Mart Maastik, the representative of the Isamaa Party faction, will be invited to the podium.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mart Maastik stated that although the draft bill is partially reasonable, the cancellation of the possibility to stop briefly poses a danger to traffic safety and pedestrian crossings. He suggested that in cities, limited stopping zones should be designated, rather than creating separate parking areas everywhere. The commission submitted two amendments, and the discussion continued at an extraordinary session.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas requests three minutes of additional time for the sitting.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Maastik stated that after an hour-and-a-half session, a foolish legal amendment was pushed through, which takes effect on July 1st and is realistically impossible to comply with, and the Isamaa Party cannot support this bill.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid, the representative of the Social Democratic Party faction, was called to the Riigikogu rostrum.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid requests three minutes of additional time for the Deputy Speaker.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Chairman Jüri Ratas calls for swift action and mentions eight o'clock.
Raimond Kaljulaid
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Raimond Kaljulaid emphasized that the core of the Social Democrats' traffic policy is the balanced assurance of safety and convenience for all road users. Therefore, the Traffic Act must be modernized to keep pace with the times, taking into account pedestrians, public transport, light personal mobility devices, cyclists, and cars, while also solving the problems caused by e-commerce and parking, and addressing the future impact of autonomous solutions.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas invites Kristo Enn Vaga, the representative of the Reform Party faction, to the Riigikogu rostrum.
Kristo Enn Vaga
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kristo Enn Vaga stated that the draft bill enhances cyclist safety by introducing a minimum passing distance of 1.5 meters from a cyclist into the Traffic Act, establishing parking rules for light personal transporters (parking parallel to the edge of the pavement and up to 20 cm from the edge of the light traffic path) while ensuring a minimum road width of one and a half meters is left clear, granting local authorities more rights to improve safety, and emphasizing that the bill does not ban foreign driving licenses but rather clarifies the basis for their recognition.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas thanked [the assembly/previous speaker] and invited Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart, the representative of the Estonian Centre Party faction, to take the floor at the Riigikogu rostrum.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart is criticizing the draft bill that raises the parking fine to 80 euros and expands the scope of marked areas, arguing that the measure is primarily aimed at balancing the budget. She warns that it will lead to harsh penalties and a heavy enforcement burden, emphasizing that people need time to adapt and for the new markings to be installed, and that cooperation among regulatory bodies must be increased.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Jüri Ratas concludes the negotiations, begins preparations for the final vote on Bill 429, and calls upon his colleagues to take a stand and cast their votes.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
The government-initiated Bill 429, amending the Traffic Act and the Police and Border Guard Act, was adopted into law with 55 votes in favor, 14 against, and no abstentions; the ninth item on the agenda has been addressed, and Tõnis Mölder submitted a procedural question.
Tõnis Mölder
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
He apologized for losing his voice and noted that the scoreboard displayed 1 abstention, even though the final result showed 0 abstentions.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas thanked the member for drawing attention to the matter and asked Kalle Grünthal to present his point of order.
Kalle Grünthal
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Kalle Grünthal pointed to a procedural issue that is becoming symptomatic within the Riigikogu Board, recalled how Kivimägi stated on Monday that there are no impartial parties, and asked the Board to convene and discuss the question of ensuring the display board is properly readable.
Aseesimees Jüri Ratas
AI Summary
Deputy Speaker Jüri Ratas apologized, admitted the mistake, and announced that the discussion on the ninth item on the agenda was concluded.