Unified Road Camera System: The State Unifies Data, Experts Call for a New Oversight Body

Bulgaria is preparing for the implementation of a large-scale technological change in traffic control. The Ministry of Transport announced the start of coordination for the preparation of a new National Road Safety Plan, the central point of which is the creation of a unified surveillance camera system.

The goal of the project is for violation information to be transmitted immediately – within seconds – to the relevant institutions, including the Ministry of Interior, the Road Infrastructure Agency, and the Customs Agency. Camera recordings will be stored for one year and will be available for inspection if necessary.

Despite the positive assessment of the idea, experts are raising serious questions regarding the management of the collected data. Road expert Krasimir Pargov emphasizes the need to create a specialized oversight body that is separate from the Ministry of Interior. According to him, such a structure should focus on business oversight, not just criminal activity, and should unify functions that are currently scattered among more than 13 different institutions.

On the other hand, former head of the Traffic Police Tencho Tenev proposes a different approach. He believes that control should be centralized in a single general structure, but identifies the "Road Police" as the most suitable body for this purpose, emphasizing that its task is to monitor safety rather than being purely repressive.

The discussion also covers critical infrastructure problems in populated areas, with experts insisting on urgent measures from municipalities to improve the condition of road surfaces.