site.btaInterior Ministry Prioritizes Road Safety, Combating Spread of Drugs

Road safety and combating the spread of drugs are priorities for the Interior Ministry, said Interior Minister Daniel Mitov here on Tuesday. He visited Ruse together with the Secretary General of the Interior Ministry, Chief Commissioner Miroslav Rashkov, to be presented the report-analysis on the activities of the Regional Directorate of the Interior in 2024.

Mitov congratulated the Director of the Regional Directorate, Senior Commissioner Nikolay Kozhuharov, on the good work and the results achieved in 2024. The Interior Minister also noted the good interaction between the institutions in the region, adding that they are especially important for the upcoming summer months, when heavy traffic on the Danube Bridge is expected.

Mitov recalled the ideas for changing the form of sanctioning violators in the Road Traffic Act. The proposals include replacing the two-tier system for imposing penalties on the road with the possibility of police officers issuing fines on the spot, as well as removing motor vehicles from traffic until the fine is paid by the respective offender. Mitov underscored that this will also help sanction foreign drivers of heavy goods vehicles and cars passing through Ruse. He noted that unmarked police cars are to be purchased and deployed to control aggressive drivers in traffic.

He added, however, that the planned changes in the legislation are not being going well because of the votes of no confidence the opposition parties table. Mitov also stressed that the political timelessness since 2021 has not allowed the development of road infrastructure. "The money for the Hemus Motorway was provided in a separate account; BGN 1.2 billion, if I remember correctly. Then Assen Vassilev [of Continue the Change] became finace minister, and the money disappeared. The Veliko Tarnovo - Ruse road and the tunnel under Shipka were not prioritized at all, and even were abandoned as a project. The Black Sea Motorway is also a long-awaited project," Mitov said.

In response to a journalist's question, Mitov stated that no arrest warrant had been issued for Ahmed Dogan, reiterating that he would not allow the Interior Ministry to be used for political purposes. Regarding the fight against drug trafficking, he noted that he was familiarized with the activities and campaigns of the local Initiative in the region by its main organizer Rumen Nikolaev, as well as with the work of the local police with adolescents.