Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev, accompanied by Deputy Mayor for Security Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lachezar Milushev and Deputy Mayor for Transport Viktor Chaushev, took part in an urgent working meeting at the Prime Minister's office, dedicated to measures to limit road injuries and illegal street racing.
Decentralization of control and financial provision
“The most important measure that can and should be implemented is to install many more cameras, but for this purpose there must be a fairer distribution of the funds collected from fines“, he said Terziev.
He called for a decentralized control model, in which municipalities would collect a significant portion of the fines imposed through their cameras, so that these funds could be directly reinvested in safety - more technical means and better road infrastructure.
As a key part of the preventive measures, the mayor pointed out the need to install adequate road markings and ensure quality lighting on the capital's streets in order to reduce the risk of accidents in the dark.
The Sofia Municipality is proposing a specific package of 12 measures aimed at overcoming the feeling of impunity on the roads. The main demands of the Sofia Municipality include:
Technical decentralization: Accelerating the process by which municipalities operate technical means for speed control and have access to the Unified Data Processing Center at the Ministry of Interior.
Legislative changes: Introducing engine power limits for young drivers and mandatory driving with an escort.
Strict liability: Effective sanctions for owners who provide cars to incompetent persons, and recognizing video recorder recordings as official evidence of violations.
Safe alternative: Supporting large municipalities in building specialized facilities for controlled high-speed driving under medical supervision.
Civic control and transparency
Terziev also prioritized the development of the “Black Track” map, created by volunteers. It contains data on accidents and problem areas, and the mayor insists that the public commitment of the institutions be attached to it. In this way, citizens will be able to monitor in real time what specific measures are being taken for each dangerous section.
Vision for the future
According to the mayor of the capital, technological solutions such as AI cameras are only one side of the process. Long-term reduction of injuries requires measures aimed at education and building personal responsibility among drivers. The ultimate goal is to create an environment in which every fine is inevitable, and all “loopholes“ in the law for systematic violators are closed.
Minister of Internal Affairs Ivan Demerdzhiev confirmed that the state will focus on automating the process of processing information from all available cameras – state, municipal and RIA, in order to achieve speed in the delivery of electronic tickets.
An agreement was reached to create a map of illegal racing locations and an increased focus on drivers holding driving licenses from countries with lower training criteria (Czech Republic, Greece and Cyprus), as statistics show that they often participate in serious violations. Additionally, the NRA authorities will be engaged to check the income of owners of luxury cars who systematically violate the rules.
The Sofia Municipality insists on less bureaucracy and clear responsibility between institutions in order to prevent new tragedies like the one on “Chelopeshko Shose“.