site.btaRoad Traffic Control Should Be Consolidated in Single Body under Interior Ministry, Transport Minister Says

Road traffic control, which is currently scattered across various agencies, should be consolidated into a single body under the umbrella of the Interior Ministry, Transport Minister Grozdan Karadjov wrote on Facebook on Wednesday. 

"That is where the Road Transport Inspection (RTI) Directorate General should go," Karadjov added. He recalled that he had made this proposal when he took office as minister in January. "I am glad that everyone has now embraced this idea, because in January most were skeptical. However, we have not stopped working and next week we will introduce the necessary legislative amendments."

Karadjov drew attention to the reactions following the corruption cases in the Road Transport Administration (RTA) executive agency. 

"Sometimes I feel like we are living in a parallel reality. The fight against corruption is presented as a cover for corruption. The dismissal of corrupt officials is presented as a purge of those who have been unjustly slandered. Preserving investigative secrecy in order to gather evidence is portrayed as a cover-up of scandal. And the people who are most outraged are those who until recently ruled Bulgaria and did nothing to end the corrupt practices in the RTI," he argued. 

The Transport Minister dismissed as false the allegations that the Ministry tried to cover up the scandal involving RTI employees who demanded bribes from singer Robbie Williams' crew members. "Everything is documented and anyone can check it. There can be no question of covering up the scandal. Moreover, the Interior Ministry has been in charge throughout, and we at the Transport Ministry and RTA have been supporting its actions," Karadjov said. 

He stressed that in addition to the two inspectors, those who were supposed to supervise their work and prevent such corrupt practices were also immediately dismissed. These are their immediate supervisor and two inspectors in the Control and Statistics Department at RTI. 

"Suddenly everyone wanted the inspectors at RTI to have body cameras. This is also good news because RTI has been insisting on this for a long time, but politicians still cannot find the money. The last time there was a proposal to purchase body cameras was last year. And even then, there was no money. I hope that this will finally be resolved in the new budget," he said.