Improving the exchange of information between the Situation Centre of the Road Infrastructure Agency, the Toll Administration and the National Coordination Centre for Road Traffic Safety at the Ministry of Interior, as well as establishing action protocols, was the subject of a meeting attended by representatives of the ministries of interior, regional development and public works, healthcare, justice, and education and science, the State Agency for Road Traffic Safety, the Financial Supervision Commission, the Customs Agency, the Road Infrastructure Agency and the Toll Administration.
During the discussion at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, a serious deficiency in cooperation to date and a lack of automated mechanisms for responding before critical situations arise were identified. Minister Georgi Peev stressed that the institutions must no longer act separately or individually, but should establish a functioning and effective process.
“The safety system has rules. The most dangerous thing in this case is to have information and not know what to do with it. That is worse than having no information,” Minister Peev noted during the meeting.
Within the next seven days, the heads of the duty centres at the Road Infrastructure Agency, the Ministry of Interior and the Toll Administration will clarify what data they possess, synchronise their communication channels, assign clear responsibilities and duties, and establish action protocols. The aim is to ensure a proactive and timely response in the event of deteriorating weather conditions, such as fog, snowfall or strong winds, or other disruptions to road traffic, rather than waiting until reports are received via emergency number 112.
To achieve these goals, the regulatory framework will be reviewed and orders will be drafted to delegate greater operational powers to the duty teams.
“The decision-making coordination chain needs to be simplified as much as possible. Duty teams must have the necessary operational powers to respond promptly on the ground, without unnecessary administrative procedures,” the minister added.
Consideration is also being given to strengthening oversight of the regional road administrations and the companies responsible for road maintenance. Within the next week, the institutions responsible must put forward concrete proposals for improved data-exchange interfaces, standardised action protocols and clear institutional accountability.