From Thursday, toll cameras monitor driving in the emergency lanes of highways, the first fines will be imposed on Saturday and Sunday

Ministers Ivan Ivanov and Daniel Mitov showed how the toll system will hand over the offenders to the Ministry of Interior

The first fines for driving in the emergency lanes on highways will be imposed from this Saturday and Sunday. On the part of the Road Infrastructure Agency and the Traffic Police, a mechanism has been specified under which law enforcement was launched on Thursday for detected violations in the emergency lane. This was announced by the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Ivan Ivanov and the Minister of Interior Daniel Mitov. In the area of Trakia Motorway today, the established organisation for the provision to the Ministry of the Interior of violations detected by the cameras of the National Toll Administration on the motorways has been inspected. A procedure has already been developed and drawn up under which, without the amendments to the Road Traffic Act having yet entered into force, with the administrative efforts made, the fines will enter into force. The aim is to support traffic safety during the increased traffic for the summer season.

Minister Ivanov informed that only on Trakia Motorway from Sofia to Burgas there are 49 portal frames with cameras that already detect violations. Once the amendments to the Road Traffic Act are finally approved, fines will also start to be imposed for average speeding from frame to frame. “I therefore call on drivers to be much more disciplined. I would like to thank all the teams from the National Toll Directorate and the Traffic Police who have been able to adapt the two systems in recent days. Thus, there is already connectivity and offenders who enter the forced stop lanes will be sanctioned, "said the regional minister. He explained that driving in the emergency lane is extremely dangerous because it creates conditions for serious accidents and blocks the access of emergency teams and the removal of damaged cars, which creates plugs in traffic. “Every road user’s self-awareness needs to improve and this is a good measure. These are some of the actions that the state is taking with regard to the war on the roads.  Our call to all those who break the rules is not to do so because they threaten the life and health of conscientious leaders. Our goal is to have a safe journey. RIA makes every effort to have normal roads after the 4-year delay. From then on, everything is in the hands of the leaders themselves," Minister Ivanov further commented. He added that he welcomed the initiative to include in the control of the movement the security cameras, as well as those of the municipalities, because a huge number of offenders are reported throughout the country. “This will be an educative measure. With preventive actions, drivers will comply with traffic rules", Ivanov was adamant.

The regional minister also informed that RIA is currently being considered to develop and implement a system for intelligent traffic management, as in Western Europe. This can be made possible on the basis of a European directive that allows part of the revenue from tolls to go to this purpose. It is possible that such a system will be in place next year.

Minister Daniel Mitov commented that this is another step towards strengthening the discipline of the road. "We expect the amendments to the Road Traffic Act to be adopted as early as this week," said Minister Mitov. He informed that more procedures are underway to buy control devices in order to saturate the roads. "Irresponsible drivers must face very severe penalties and be removed from the road forever. Drivers become more disciplined. Everywhere the cameras will detect their violations and will be fined accordingly", said Interior Minister Daniel Mitov.