The Riigikogu discussed Bills concerning traffic management and online commerce
Today the Riigikogu concluded the second reading of a bill that will make mobility data more easily accessible and the first reading of a bill that will simplify the cancelling of online purchases.
The Bill on Amendments to the Traffic Act (753 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the second reading. Its purpose is to transpose the European Union directive on intelligent transport systems into Estonian law.
The amendments will oblige the Transport Administration and local governments to make traffic and mobility data available in machine-readable form. Such data includes speed limits, overtaking ban zones, road works, traffic alerts, and vehicle height and weight restrictions. The aim of the amendments is to allow both public and private sector service providers, such as Waze and Google, as well as road maintenance companies, to use the data in real time.
According to the explanatory memorandum, intelligent transport systems working together have the potential to improve road safety, reduce both the number and severity of accidents, and increase traffic efficiency.
During the second reading, the bill was amended by including a provision exempting zero-emission trucks and their trailers from the road usage charge, meaning that no road usage charge would have to be paid for electric trucks until 2031.
The Bill on Amendments to the Law of Obligations Act and the Consumer Protection Act (796 SE), initiated by the Government, passed the first reading. It provides that, in the future, it will have to be possible to cancel an online purchase within 14 days just as easily as purchasing something from an online store with a few clicks – for this, online stores will have to have a withdrawal function, that is, a withdrawal button. The bill also provides that, in the future, terminating a service will have to be as easy as subscribing to the service. This means that, once the amendment enters into force, traders will no longer be able to use the practice where, for example, consumers can conclude internet and mobile communications contracts online, but they must visit an office if they wish to terminate their contracts.
As one important amendment, the Bill provides for consumers’ right to demand human interaction when conducting business online. If a business has set up communication through a chatbot, consumers will have to have the option to transfer the conversation to a live agent. This is especially important when a financial service product is complex or when the robot’s standard responses remain too general. The consumer must have the opportunity to communicate with a person before concluding a contract in order to ensure that they have correctly understood the terms of the transaction.
The Bill will transpose into Estonian law the European Union’s directive on the distance marketing of financial services which adapts consumer protection requirements to the usage logic of the digital age where financial services are increasingly being contracted via telephone, online forms, and chatbots. The aim is to provide consumers with sufficient protection in the event of transactions concluded by means of communication. Pre-contractual information will have to be presented clearly and be understandable to the user even on a small screen.
Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)
Video recording of the sitting will be available to watch later on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
Riigikogu Press Service
Maris Meiessaar
+372 631 6353, +372 5558 3993
[email protected]
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