A new stage in the fight against traffic violations begins today, September 7, with the introduction of section control for average speed on key sections of the national road network. The initiative, which aims to increase road safety and reduce serious incidents, was announced by the "Road Infrastructure" Agency.
The principle of operation of the new system is simple yet effective. Special cameras, located at the beginning and end of specific sections, will detect the time it takes for a vehicle to cover the distance between them. Based on this data, the vehicle's average speed will be calculated. In the event that it exceeds the legally established limits, the system will automatically register the violation.
After a violation is established, the collected data will be transmitted by the National Toll Administration (NTA) to the Ministry of Interior (MoI). In their joint work, the two institutions will ensure that violators are adequately sanctioned, thereby supporting efforts for safer roads. This collaboration between the NTA and the MoI underscores the seriousness with which the state is addressing the problem of high-speed driving.
As of September 5, the number of officially certified sections reached 22. A complete and updated list of them is available on the website of the National Toll Administration. The publication provides comprehensive information for each road, including its start and end point, as well as a link to an interactive map that shows its exact location. The road agency specifies that the data will be updated promptly with each new section that passes the mandatory inspection by the Bulgarian Institute of Metrology.
The technical readiness of the National Toll Administration is ambitious, with plans for a total of 126 sections with a total length of approximately 1,200 kilometers. However, their full phased introduction into operation depends on the issuance of methodological guidelines by the Ministry of Interior. It is expected that by the end of the year, all 126 planned sections will be in real operation mode.
Here is the list of all certified sections as of September 5, where the new control is already in effect:
- "Trakia" Motorway: Vakarel - Ihtiman; Ihtiman - Vakarel; Tsalapitsa - Radinovo; Radinovo - Tsalapitsa.
- "Struma" Motorway: Sandanski - Damyanitsa; Damyanitsa - Sandanski; Balgarchevo - Pokrovnik; Pokrovnik - Balgarchevo.
- "Hemus" Motorway: Devnya - Ignatievo; Ignatievo - Devnya; Belokopitovo - Kaspiсhan; Kaspiсhan - Belokopitovo.
- Northern Speed Tangent: Iliyantsi - Chepintsi; Chepintsi - Iliyantsi.
- Republican roads: Slatino - Kocherinovo; Kocherinovo - Slatino; Struyno - Shumen; Shumen - Struyno; Dolni Dabnik - Telish; Telish - Dolni Dabnik; Balgarski izvor - Sopot; Sopot - Balgarski izvor.
In the middle of the week, the director of the National Toll Administration, Eng. Oleg Asenov, confirmed the scale of the project, stating that by the end of the year, over 1,200 kilometers of the road network will be covered by the average speed control system. He also specified that the introduction of overload control for heavy-duty vehicles is expected around October 15, initially starting with 20 control points. These measures are part of the state's overall strategy to ensure safer and more responsible driving on Bulgarian roads.