First, the railway workers decided to close the crossing in Ołtarzew, now they are postponing the decision. But only for a few days. The actions of PKP are commented on by the mayor of Ożarów Mazowiecki, Paweł Kanclerz, calling them arbitrary. Inspections after the tragic accident in which the driver died revealed many irregularities concerning the crossing. However, there were no recommendations to close it.
PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe SA spokesman Karol Jakubowski said that after consultations with the local police and the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe SA decided to postpone the closure of the rail-road crossing in Ołtarzew until Friday, 9 August, 23:59.
What will change at the crossing?
– As a result of the talks, it was established that, in addition to the constant supervision provided by the Railway Protection Guard, police patrols will be more frequently present at the rail-road crossing. Additionally, the manager of the national road GDDKiA, to which Ceramiczna Street leads, decided to extend the lights enabling entry from Ceramiczna to DK. This will help to relieve traffic jams and thus prevent dangerous situations at the rail-road crossing – Jakubowski noted.
The spokesman added that PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe SA will discuss with the road manager the possibility of installing new technical solutions at the crossing that may limit dangerous driver behavior. – PLK SA together with the managers are monitoring the situation at the rail-road crossing. If the situation does not improve by Friday, August 9, the crossing will be closed – he indicated further. And he summed up: – It should be remembered that the appropriate level of safety at rail-road crossings depends on the actions of the rail and road infrastructure manager. Both of these entities have obligations to ensure the safety of all users of rail-road crossings.
Mayor: the decision to close the crossing is an act of arbitrariness on the part of PKP
The decision of the railway workers was also commented on social media by the mayor of Ożarów Mazowiecki, Paweł Kanclerz. “The situation with the crossing at Ceramiczna is as follows – for now it is open at least until Friday. This is what the director of the PKP PLK Security Office announced during a program on TVP3, in which I had the opportunity to participate. However, the director could just as well have announced the landing of aliens at Ceramiczna. This is more or less the force of any declarations by PKP PLK regarding the closing or not closing of the crossing,” he wrote on Facebook.
The Mayor also recalled that the State Commission for the Investigation of Railway Accidents did not recommend that PKP PLK close the crossing. However, it imposed other obligations on the company, requiring urgent implementation. “This idea is the Company's own will. Of course, there is no shortage of drivers who lack imagination and their attempts to force the crossing deserve the highest condemnation, nevertheless the fact remains that the authorized body did not recommend that PKP PLK close the crossing,” the Chancellor emphasized.
They are changing the organization of traffic
When asked about the crossing, the Mazovian Voivodeship Roads Authority “does not agree with the statement that improper traffic organization was in force in the area of the railway crossing on DW 718 in Ołtarzew”.
– In accordance with art. 28 item 3 section 2 of the Road Traffic Act (…) “The driver of a vehicle is prohibited from entering a level crossing if there is no space on the other side of the level crossing to continue driving”. However, in order to further improve safety, the road administrator has changed the traffic organization. The new organization prevents left turns from Ceramiczna Street onto access roads located along railway lines and requires right turns from these roads onto DW 718. A speed limit of 50 kilometers per hour has also been introduced – Alicja Wolak-Gójska from the MZDW promotion and communication office told our editorial office.
She also assured that “the above actions are aimed at better clarity of traffic organization, however, this does not change the fact that road users are always obliged to comply with applicable road traffic regulations”. – We do not have information on the number of incidents at the mentioned railway crossing. Currently, design documentation for the construction of the viaduct is being developed – Wolak-Gójska said.
Driver dies, investigation launched
Let us recall: on July 1, on Ceramiczna Street in Ożarów Mazowiecki, at a marked railway crossing, a tragic accident occurred. A truck collided with a Koleje Mazowieckie train, the driver was killed.
An investigation was launched, and the crossing was also examined by specialists from the State Commission for the Investigation of Rail Accidents. They, as we now read in a statement from the railway workers, recommended closing the crossing.
Main image source: tvnwarszawa.pl