site.btaInterior Ministry Plans to Intensify Inspections in Areas with Heavy Truck Traffic

The Ministry of Interior plans to order intensified inspections in areas with high truck traffic, as well as intensified inspections for alcohol and drug use by truck drivers, said Minister of Interior Daniel Mitov at the beginning of Wednesday's government meeting.

Another specific measure to increase road safety will be the restriction or redirection to alternative routes for truck traffic, he pointed out.

"We plan, after the relevant legislative changes, to introduce control through unmarked official vehicles driven by Ministry of Interior employees. They will be able to stop motor vehicles, including trucks, when committing road violations," said Mitov.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Georgi Tahov made a proposal to include veterinary specialists from the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency in the road inspection teams. "We have information that since we have been members of Schengen, animals of unclear origin from the territory of Greece have been entering our country illegally. This is dangerous for the epizootic situation in our country," he argued his proposal.

At the beginning of Wednesday's meeting, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov ordered several institutions, including the State Agency for Road Safety, the Traffic Police, the Road Infrastructure Agency and the Customs Agency, to coordination in an effort to better control traffic related to the movement of people and goods.