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About 15 000 drivers in Bulgaria lose their licences in five months

Mon, Aug 09 2010 10:58 CET

byThe Sofia Echo staff

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About 15 000 drivers in Bulgaria lose their licences in five months

Photo: Reuters

Over the past five months about 15 000 motorists have had their licences suspended for speeding, the Bulgarian traffic police department (KAT) said, according to a report in mass circulation "24 Chassa" daily on August 9 2010.

According to the report, 15 CCTV cameras have accounted for about 180 000 speeding and other traffic-related violations since the turn of the year. Alexi Stratiev, deputy director of KAT, says that signs informing motorists of road cameras would make them reduce their speed,  and ultimately save lives.

In June 2010, it was reported that about 500 drivers on average lose their licences every week for speeding-related offences, passing through some of the busiest junctions in Sofia, such as Orlov Most (Eagles Bridge).

Sofia's busiest arteries and junctions have been mapped by the Interior Ministry, concentrating on those sections most prone to speeding or serious traffic accidents. In all, more than 20 locations have been identified and deemed to be high-risk. These will be equipped with radar surveillance equipment "once the funding is provided", according to the report, the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) said.

Currently, new state-of-the-art radar surveillance equipment is being installed along Tsarigradsko Chaussee Boulevard to detect traffic offenders. The equipment detects speed and provides police with high resolution imaging of the vehicle, as well as the offence perpetrated.

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Comments

Anonymous onethorn Mon, Aug 09 2010 23:55 CET
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Ahh, but if only I had a new black BMW or Mercedes.

Anonymous Jim Mon, Aug 09 2010 20:32 CET
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It's about time they do something about the deplorable, and dangerous, drivers in this country. I consider it a major achievement to have been in this country 14 years -- during most of which time I've been driving -- and survived to tell the tale.

Anonymous Philip, London/Sofia Mon, Aug 09 2010 19:36 CET
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And so it begins. As in Britain, the govt. spin initially presents this as some kind of triumph for road safety - then the revenue cameras start to multiply like fruit flies.

Mark my words.


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