Holiday Travel Begins: Heavy Traffic Across Bulgaria Ahead of Christmas

The major pre-Christmas travel rush is underway, with traffic significantly heavier on the last working day before Christmas.

Over 100,000 vehicles are expected to leave Sofia today and tomorrow.

Congestion is being reported within city streets, at the exits of major urban centres, and on the country’s main road routes. The most heavily affected is the Trakia Motorway.

Some 900 police teams are monitoring compliance with traffic regulations. Currently, peak-hour congestion is being experienced as the working day draws to a close.

“There’s more traffic than I expected. We’re about to set off, we just finished refuelling,” said one driver.

When asked if they were prepared for winter conditions in case of adverse weather:

“Yes, fully prepared.”

“We’re ready for winter driving. Traffic is quite intense; I’ve just left the city centre and hope the motorway will be a bit better,” another motorist added.