The French practice of exercising control on traffic costs EUR 40 million, said commissar Alexi Stratiev, head of Traffic Police
Each new year begins with examinations and checks on the drivers. What are the results so far?
In the first days of the year the checks were pretty much impeded by the
excessive snowfall. During those days the police officers were providing safety on the roads and once the situation has normalised we directed our attention to regular work. The checks on MTPL
insurance are actual in January in view of the campaign sale of the insurance product. The check on drivers for alcohol abuse are regular, too, since there are many holidays during the month. In
February we will be checking for vignettes. We hope that in the end of February, when the weather will be bebtter, we will be able to prevent speeding.
The activities of Traffic Police are being reported every month and January results will be ready when the month is over. Statistics, however, show that things repeat each year.
In 2007 there were 17 293 cases of uninsured vehicles and in comparison with the rate of 94% (i.e. more than 2 million are insured) we may say the cases are few.
Are there cases of temporarily suspended drivers licences due to MTPL violation?
The total number of drivers with suspended licences is 18 300. Not all of them were suspended
due to lack of MTPL insurance policy, but most were.
What is the practice- the policeman checks, registers the lack of MTPL insurance policy, takes the drivers' licences and leaves the driver on the road ...
The papers of the
vehicle are withheld. The driver is issued a round sign which allows them to drive for 2-3 days within which they are expected to buy insurance.
Are there any problem in your co-operation with the Guarantee Fund, FSC and the insurers?
One of the problems is that the insurance companies submit their reports with great
delay. We have made checks ourselves, for our insurance policies - and it turns out that the valid for 2-3 months insurance policy of a colleague of ours is not registered in the database.
Other issue is the paid in instalments insurance when the driver has made their first payment but is not actually insured ...
Maybe we are to concentrate on that in particular. It is far easier to supervise when the drivers have green stickers reading the expiry date of their insurance policies. The insurers claim they
give the drivers a card and a sticker with perforation by the date of the payment due, something we have to accept but doubt. We hope it happens.
When will it be possible for a traffic police officer to stop a driver and browse a database and see their record - insurance policies paid and fines imposed?
As far as the
fines imposed on the drivers go the Ministry of Interior is developing an informational system. As far as MTPL insurance goes, it can happen tomorrow if the insurance companies co-operate because
they contain all insurance data. I cameras are installed on busy spots the uninsured vehicles will be found very very easily. If the insurers decide to pay for it and contribute to the safety on
the road.
There is another idea we stand for, too - all insurance companies to maintain are database with records of all drivers to have caused a road accident. But unfortunately each insurer keeps their own
separate records. If there is a common database of "culprits" the popular bonus-malus system will be in operation.
How do you rate the traffic supervision - is it adequate?
I do not think there is any colleague of mine in the world who is satisfied with the traffic supervision and I won't say I am satisfied either. I think we need more technical equipment..
What amount of resources are you going to spend on equipment?
It is hard for me to say, in 2007 we bought more than 40 cameras. I hope we will buy no less this year. The USA are experimenting to attach a speeding controller to a satellite.
In France there are cameras on the roads only, no policemen...
Deputy minister Petkov adopted the French model as it is organised very well. The results are less violations and fast-returned investment. In France the amount of fines was EUR 250 million and
only for a year the amount raised to EUR 350 million.
When are we, in Bulgaria, going to do the same?
We are on the right path. We collected BGN 20 million from fines imposed during the second part of last year due to
amendments to the Law. The annual fines amount is BGN 40 million.
How much would is cost to introduce the same system in Bulgaria?
Foreign experts say approximately EUR 40 million- cameras, software, data processing centre. This is the fines
amount for 2 years. If such a system is introduced the drivers will behave far better on the road. Unfortunately, this is not happening since the money is too much.
How is the registration of the vehicles going?
2007 was amazing. In the busiest moments there were 4 000 registrations a day. The number of cars increased with 413 800 cars a
year (new cars and used cars), i.e. 17%. We have never gone beyond the number of 250 thousand by far.
Are you thinking of a new registration centre in Sofia?
We are rather thinking of improving the present conditions. There are proposals how to organise a faster process with
the registration system so there will e no such long queues. We think that the cars sales market has saturated and we expect this year not to be that busy. Even in September-October the number of
vehicles registered daily dropped to 2 000.
How much time will it take to register a car now with the new system in operation?
We expect that in the spring it will take no more than 2 hours. Last summer it took 2 days, now it takes 1 day.
Are Bulgarians wealthier now? What is the ration between used cars - new cars?
Around 1/5 of the registered cars are new. On the whole we must have become wealthier since so
many cars are being registered. And buying a used car is the least you pay for owning it.
When do you think the traffic police officer will stop being a personage in the jokes?
Only those who do not work do not make mistakes. The traffic police officer should change his looks and his behaviour.
You did not say anything about corruption, only looks and behaviour ...
Let us make it clear that the traffic police officer is an individual heavily subjected to bribery. The doctor takes bribes to provide medical care and the traffic police officer has to refuse
bribes because if you are accurate they cannot take any money from you. Let us make one thing clear, traffic police officers are a small part of a nation with one and the same mentality.
