site.btaBulgaria's Toll System Cameras Can Now Detect Speeding

The cameras of Bulgaria's toll system can now detect speeding. А new functional system to detect average speed was presented at a National Toll Administration workshop on Thursday. The event was attended by caretaker Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Violeta Koritarova and Stoyan Nikolov - member of the Management Board of the Road Infrastructure Agency.

The test results carried out between October 18 - 23 on a section of Sofia's Northern Speed Tangent were also reported. During this period a car was detected travelling along the route at an average speed of 203 km/h. In the last 24 hours, statistics show that 494 cars were travelling at speeds of more than 140 km/h. A total of 642 cars were travelling at speeds between 101 and 120 km/h, and another 2,707 were travelling through the route at an average speed of between 121 and 140 km/h. The system recorded that 3 buses under 12 tonnes were travelling on the Northern Speed Tangent at an average speed of between 80 and 100 km/h during this period.

The system has the ability to transmit enforcement information from all toll cameras. The average speed is recorded using images from the devices located at the beginning and end of a road section (segment) which detect the vehicle license plate numbers. The system takes into account whether they are cars or trucks, for example, and the speed limits for each type of vehicle.

Tests are to be carried out on other sections of the national road network and the system is to be certified by the Bulgarian Institute of Metrology. "We need to comply with the administrative procedures, to get confirmation from the Ministry of Interior that they receive the data from the toll system and can process it", Koritarova said and requested that deadlines be set for each upcoming activity until the functionality is fully operational.

Amendments to the Road Traffic Act, which will define the term "average speed", have been submitted in the National Assembly. Their implementation will ensure road accident reduction, road safety improvement and will ultimately save lives.