National Toll Authority Launches Interactive Traffic and Weather Maps to Aid Drivers

The National Toll Authority has unveiled two interactive maps designed to help drivers plan their routes more efficiently and stay better prepared on the road. The maps are now accessible via the authority’s official website.

Yavor, a lorry driver with 17 years’ experience, often encounters traffic jams for a variety of reasons.

Yavor Neshkov, lorry driver: “My working hours end, but during the day there are delays with loading, unloading, and addresses. Sometimes I have to stay 5 km from home — I can’t reach the garage and can’t leave the vehicle unattended.”

To address such challenges, the Toll Authority has introduced tools to make life easier for drivers.

The new features include two interactive maps — one showing traffic intensity and the other presenting the country’s weather conditions. The data is updated every 15 minutes using cameras and system sensors.

Yavor Neshkov: “The weather map will be useful in winter, when there’s snow. The traffic map with up-to-date information is always helpful. When you have information, you can take action and choose an alternative route.”

The weather map gathers data from 80 monitoring points across the country and also provides a risk analysis.

Prof. Oleg Asenov, Director of the National Toll Authority: “On the ‘Bŭrziya’ and ‘Petrohan’ routes, temperatures are low, there is a risk of fog and ice. Each point is marked with a red ring, indicating a high risk due to road conditions.”

Angel Popov, road expert: “The map contains interesting data — asphalt temperature, wind speed, air temperature, and, most importantly, traffic along the route you plan to travel. It’s an extremely useful tool.”

The traffic map allows drivers to select alternative routes using various filters.

Prof. Oleg Asenov: “Traffic intensity is colour-coded — red for heavy traffic, green for lighter traffic. If you’re heading to the coast, you can check the Sofia–Burgas route. If the motorway is congested and you’re a less experienced driver, you can choose the Sub-Balkan route instead.”

Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Interior reported that since the start of the year there have been 1,120 road traffic accidents in the country, resulting in 82 fatalities and 1,403 injuries.

Additional statistics for January show that 177 drivers of cars were injured, along with 25 drivers of heavy goods vehicles. Among those killed, 14 were car drivers and 4 were heavy goods vehicle drivers.