EU slams Poland for vehicle registration hang-up

The motion is expected to be debated by Commissioners in the upcoming week.

The move comes after a resident of Kielce, southern Poland, filed a complaint to the EU a few years ago against the Polish administration for its refusal to register a motor vehicle which was imported from the UK, and whose steering wheel was on the right hand side.

Brussels maintains that Poland broke the law by demanding the owner to convert the vehicle to a left-hand-drive before allowing it to be registered in the country, giving reference to infringement of EU regulations which allow for the free movement of goods.

The European Commission argues that such motor vehicles are registered and are used in other EU countries which do not demand such a conversion, and as such Poland cannot be the ‘odd one out’.

Meanwhile, the Polish Infrastructure Ministry cites safety concerns as the main reason for upholding the regulation, not only as to the position of the steering wheel – and hence the driver – but also headlamp positioning.

“There are fears that due to the lack of dual carriageways in Poland, a heightened number of right-hand-drive cars would worsen the safety situation on Polish roads,” the ministry upheld in a comment surrounding the possible EU summons. (jb)

Source: IAR