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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 Minster.

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