The state is preparing a serious reform in the road safety system. Part of the functions of the Executive Agency “Automobile Administration“ and the toll management will be transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the possibilities for electronic control will be expanded and the construction of six specialized training centers for drivers is planned.
This became clear from the words of Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Kaloyan Kaloyanov on the air of “Wake up“ on NOVA. The reform is part of a broader government plan to change the organization of road control.
Part of the functions of the State Traffic Safety Administration are transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs
The main idea is for road control to be concentrated in one institution, instead of being distributed among several structures.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs will take over part of the control functions of the “Automobile Administration“ and the toll management. In this way, police teams will be able to carry out more complex road checks, instead of individual institutions controlling various violations.
According to the model presented by the government, information from different sources will be combined into a single system. It will receive data from cameras, police body cameras, sensors and other devices, with the aim of making the information available in real time.
Nearly 200 staff are being laid off
The restructuring will also be accompanied by optimization of the administration. It is planned to cut nearly 200 jobs in the structures related to the State Traffic Safety Administration and the toll system.
The goal is not to mechanically create a new administration, but to redistribute and use existing resources more effectively.
The government presents the reform precisely as a restructuring of existing structures, and not as the creation of another administration.
Electronic fines should reach violators faster
Another key element is the acceleration of the process from the detection of the violation to the imposition and delivery of the sanction.
Data from cameras and other systems must be processed centrally, which, according to the authorities, will shorten the path of the electronic fine to the violator.
For the period from January 1 to August 31, 2026 alone, nearly 1.37 million tickets were issued to drivers, captured by stationary and mobile cameras and tripods.
The idea is that the system allows not only to identify a specific violation, but also to analyze the risk. It is planned to create risk profiles that traffic police officers will have access to in real time.
The Toll system will also be used for control
The Toll system will have a broader role in the new model. Its data will be part of the unified information system, which should unite information about road traffic.
It is planned to use technologies for automatic control, including for heavy goods vehicles. Among the options being discussed are systems for automatically measuring the weight of vehicles without necessarily stopping them for inspection.
Six new driving ranges for young drivers
The reform is not limited to sanctions and control. It is planned to build six specialized driving ranges where young drivers can undergo additional training.
The idea is that after obtaining a driver's license, drivers will acquire practical skills in a controlled environment before facing the real risks of the road. A similar measure is included in the road safety improvement plan.
Single Road Safety Authority
The government has already announced the creation of the Executive Agency “Automobile Transport Operator“. It should unite the functions and resources of existing structures, and in parallel with this, a single national center for information management and control should be created.
The goal is for institutions to have a general picture of the situation on the roads in real time — from violations and traffic to information about risky areas and vehicles.
Reform or new bureaucracy?
The cabinet's ambition is for the reform to lead to more effective control, faster sanctioning of violators and better exchange of information between institutions.
However, legislative changes are forthcoming, as amendments to a number of laws and regulations will be necessary for the actual restructuring. The government expects the process to be completed by the end of 2027.
The big question is whether the new system will actually reduce violations and serious accidents or simply redistribute functions between institutions.
For now, the authorities are betting on more electronic control, more real-time data, faster sanctions and better training for young drivers.
The parliament is yet to provide the necessary legal framework, and then it will become clear how the reform will work in practice.