Beginning May 1, the price of annual electronic vignettes in Bulgaria will rise from 87 BGN to 97 BGN. Additionally, starting in June, the country’s toll system is expected to begin tracking average speeds across dozens of road sections nationwide. By autumn, another new feature of the toll system will go live—weigh-in-motion technology for monitoring whether trucks are overloaded.
This weight-monitoring capability has actually been in place since the toll system was introduced five years ago. At that time, along with the installation of cameras, sensors were embedded into the asphalt beneath approximately 100 toll gantries to measure the mass of trucks while in motion.
“When a vehicle passes, each axle is weighed. The total weight is then calculated by summing the load on each axle. If the total exceeds the legal limit, enforcement measures should be applied,” explained Assoc. Prof. Georgi Balabanov, an external expert with the National Toll Administration.
As part of ongoing amendments to the Road Traffic Act, the government plans to activate this weigh-in-motion functionality to monitor truck weights.
“The idea is to implement automated electronic enforcement—if a vehicle exceeds legal axle or total weight limits, the driver will receive an electronic ticket,” added Balabanov.
Transport companies largely support the move.
“The state loses about 100 million BGN annually due to overloaded vehicles. This measure is essential and must be enforced equally for all. For years, we’ve witnessed certain firms close to those in power being given preferential treatment when it comes to overloading,” said Dimitar Dimitrov from the Chamber of Road Hauliers in Bulgaria.
However, transport companies are urging the government to introduce a tolerance margin for minor weight overages, citing the lack of scales in rural loading areas.
“If you're loading in a field where there’s no scale, you can’t know the exact weight. That’s why there must be a tolerance—this is standard in almost every EU country,” Dimitrov added.
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Experts also warn that Regulation No. 11, which governs overloading limits, is outdated and in urgent need of a complete rewrite.
“Regulation No. 11 needs to be completely redrafted. It’s so outdated that it’s beyond correction,” stated Assoc. Prof. Balabanov.
Since the toll rate increases on April 1, transport companies have declared a state of protest readiness. Negotiations with the government on possible relief measures are ongoing.
The weigh-in-motion feature of the toll system is expected to become operational in September.
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