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Measures to Tackle Corruption among Traffic Officers


Sofia, November 25 (BTA) - Interior Minister Vesselin Vouchkov told a news conference on Tuesday that security police officers will no longer be able to enforce traffic rules. Vouchkov presented a package of measures designed to limit one-to-one contact between officers and drivers. The measures come in the wake of a video uploaded on the Internet showing a traffic officer taking bribes from several motorists.

Traffic control will be enforced only by traffic officers at special sites designated by signs and published on the websites of the regional police departments. The Minister said that checks will be carried out by at least two teams and will be videotaped but they won't be widespread because the Interior Ministry currently has only 28 such cameras.

Security police will be able to stop vehicles but only for routine searches.

Twenty-five stationary cameras across the country will issue tickets for speed violations.

MInister Vouchkov said that the Interior Police Act will be changed to relaunch 148 mobile speed cameras that were banned by the Supreme Administrative Court. Motorists won't be pulled over by police and they will pay their fines at local police departments, added the Minister.

So far 400 police cars have been fitted with GPS devices and their number is expected to reach 2,500 next months. PK/PP