Over 40,000 speeding tickets have been issued so far in our country, and the system has reduced the number of road violators by more than three times. This was reported by the director of the National Toll Administration, Prof. Oleg Asenov. The control network will be expanded with 20 new sections, and the state is also launching a new digital map for monitoring traffic and weather in real time, accessible to all drivers.
According to the toll administration, the introduced average speed control gives definite results and changes the behavior of drivers.
"If before the introduction of the measure every third driver exceeded the average speed, now every tenth exceeds the average speed in these sections," said Prof. Oleg Asenov, quoted by BNT. He added that the sanctions work as a real deterrent, leading to a noticeable decrease in the number of victims and seriously injured in the controlled sections.
In addition to speed control, a new meteorological and traffic monitoring system is also in operation, which is updated every 15 minutes. The goal is to inform drivers in advance, not when they already find themselves in a risky situation.
"The map indicates the risks they face, such as fog, strong wind, rainfall, snowfall, and the possibility of freezing on the road", explained the director of the toll administration.
With regard to heavy goods traffic, the state is temporarily postponing the planned increase in toll fees for vehicles over 3.5 tons. Prof. Asenov motivated the decision with the current economic situation, which does not allow for additional burden on the transport industry. Talks are currently underway with the European Commission on the notification mechanisms that have been activated.
"In fact, we are not talking about increasing tolls here, but adding components that will not be directly reflected in the road infrastructure," commented Prof. Asenov. The new elements will cover carbon emissions, noise and general pollution, with the funds going into separate specialized eco-funds.
To limit corruption on the roads, the institution is introducing body cameras for employees, strictly controlled tablets and constant video surveillance in sales centers.