The Ministry of Climate and Environment has submitted a ready proposal to the Ministry of Justice to tighten penalties for driving vehicles outside the forest road. According to the project, such an offense would be punishable by arrest or even restriction of liberty. Fines are also to increase, currently ranging from PLN 20 to PLN 5,000 – “Rzeczpospolita” reports.
Riding a quad or cross bike in the forest outside the designated routes may result in a higher fine
According to the proposal of the Ministry of Culture and Environment, arrest, restriction of freedom or a fine of no less than PLN 3,000 would be imposed on people moving around the forest in an unauthorized place, causing significant noise or destroying or damaging plants or scaring animals. In addition, in the event of a conviction, the ministry would like to be able to impose a penalty of up to PLN 1,500. And if it was another penalty for an intentional offense, the driver could lose the vehicle.
– Though changes The regulations planned by the ministry should undoubtedly be assessed positively, but their tightening alone is not the key to success – points out attorney Dawid Mielcarski. – The most important thing is the inevitability of punishment – he adds. However, this can be difficult.
Forests have problems with quads and cross bikes. It is difficult to identify the perpetrators
Of course new the regulations are supposed to apply to all vehicles, but foresters have a particular problem with quad and cross-country motorcycle drivers. Such people are difficult to catch, and monitoring does not help in punishing the perpetrators. Drivers take off their license plates and wear helmets that cover their faces.
As Benedykt Sadowski, a supervising engineer at the Forest District, says: Bydgoszczthe problem is serious because users of cross bikes and quads go to every possible place, create tracks on forest slopes, destroy plants, including young trees, and in addition, the noise scares away animals.