At the end of the first day of the 21st Parliamentary Session on May 13, Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák officially presented the government’s new Road Act, the TASR newswire wrote.
In his speech, Kaliňák emphasised that it was apolitical legislation, and therefore he expects constructive discussion, especially in the second reading, when the nuts and bolts of the Act are debated.
Among other things, the Act proposes to reduce the speed limit for residential areas to 50 kilometers per hour (from 60), to make it mandatory to drive year-round with headlights on, and to increase fines ten fold.
On the same day, MPs discussed two government proposals prepared by Education Minister Ján Mikolaj (SNS). Opposition MPs demanded that his proposed Act on the Organisation and Support of Sport, as well as his proposed Act on the Support of Working with Youth, be withdrawn from the session.
A series of bills was also introduced by Finance Minister Ján Počiatek (Smer-SD). He presented a proposed Act on Duty Stamps, an Act on the System of Payment, an Act on Using Electronic Cash Registers, and an Act on the Census in 2011.
An amendment from opposition SMK MP József Berényi would require that children under 15 be banned from public places where alcohol is served after 9 p.m., unless accompanied by their parents. Another bill prohibits the consumption of alcohol for anyone under 17. It was submitted by LS-HZDS MPs Katarína Tóthova and Ľudmila Mušková.
Debate on the Road Act will begin on the morning of May 14, with opposition SDKÚ-DS MP Martin Pado. Voting has been scheduled for 11 a.m. TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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