We need to start working on a new road safety strategy now. This was announced by the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Rossen Jeliazkov, in the framework of the conference "Working together to make our roads safer - an improved model for road safety and good practice". The event was organized by the Ministry of Interior under the auspices of the Bulgarian Presidency.
Minister Jeliazkov noted that despite the National Strategy for Improvement of Road Traffic in Bulgaria, developed in 2011, there is a constant tendency to repeat the same mistakes and violations by the participants in the traffic. "The main efforts to deal with this were mainly to increase sanctions and prevention, but it is not enough", he added. In his words, a new strategy with a vision for 2030 should be elaborated, which to be based on good European practices and observing the main factors having a significant impact on road safety, such as the behavior of road users; the safety of road infrastructure; the technical condition of the vehicles; driver training and control. "Protecting the life and health of all road users is a top priority of the government and you are all witnessing a clear vision of regulatory and institutional measures and tasks related to strengthening road safety policy," he said.
Minister Rosen Jeliazkov presented the measures envisaged by the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, which would have a positive impact on road safety.
Regarding the training and examinations of the drivers, the Minister pointed out that since the control system for the theoretical exams, the so-called "White rooms", have been introduced, the attempts for unregulated taking of exams have drastically reduced. Currently, there are single cases where people with fake ID cards appear instead of particular candidates. To solve this problem, the examiners are equipped with special means to recognize fake ID, as the system of EA “Road Transport Administration” is due to be connected with that of the Ministry of Interior , so that the scanning of the ID card will automatically check whether it is a fake one, Minister Jeliazkov added. As a major challenge he outlined the tightening of control in practical exams and identified it as an extremely difficult task.
Introduction of the training and exams on a field is also a subject that is currently being discussed, as well as the preliminary routes to be pre-set in a system that randomly chooses each candidate’s route. This will reduce the subjective factor and the doubts that certain candidates get easier routes, the minister added. He noted that, just as in the theoretical exams a monitoring unit for practical ones is setting up, and its main task will be to monitor and evaluate the examiners’s work.
It is expected the number of the questions to be reduced and a second part of the exam to be introduced where there will be video case studies to test the applicants’ reaction. It is a good practice borrowed from other European countries. The possibility of setting up an electronic training control system is discussing in order fictitious training to be eliminated.
Regarding the roadworthiness control, Minister Rossen Jeliazkov pointed out that the existing system is being upgrading by connecting the equipment to the EA Automobile Administration’s information system via a secured connection. A snapshot of the velocity gauge indicators and storage of the images will be provided. A chip for remote reading of the data will be inserted in the sticker for the technical inspections; the stickers will be different colors showing the pollution level of the cars. "The roadworthiness control will be optimized at the first registration, and it will be carried out by the EA “Automobile Administration”. In this way, before registration the motor vehicles will pass a technical inspection at the points with predefined criteria," said Minister Jeliazkov. An e-system for submitting and filling in the necessary registration documents will be set up in order to reduce the administrative burdens for the citizens.
A registration regime for automobile repair shops shall be introduced for the first time, as they will be obliged to guarantee the repairs they have done for at least six months. Besides, a public register of repair shops will be created with information on their location, staff and its qualification, to which users will have personal access. This will give an opportunity to create a history of vehicles’ repairs and thus will be evident for a particular vehicle what kind of repairs it had passed in the time, when and in which repair shops. Minister Jeliazkov underlined that this amendments will not only lead to improvement of road safety, but also to greater transparency and effectiveness.
“In terms of enforcement activities one of the main measures that we foresee and will propose to be legally regulated, is the transfer of enforcement activities on the road, currently implemented by EA “Road Transport Administration”, to the Ministry of Interior, as the Road Transport Administration will retain its enforcement functions as regards to enterprises”, also pointed out Rossen Jeliazkov.
The Minister stated that those measures shall be thoroughly discussed with the public in order to find an optimal crossing section between the interests of all participants in these processes, because any saved life is the only and most important indicator for the significance of the efforts made in road safety.
