site.btaUPDATED Parliament Leaves Current Speed Limits, Endorses Average Speed Control

Parliament on Wednesday voted to leave the current maximum speed limit of 140 km/h on highways and 120 km/h on expressways. The amendments to the Road Traffic Act were adopted at second reading with 165 votes in favour, one against, and three abstentions.

MPs abandoned an initial proposal to lower the speed limits to 130 km/h for highways and 110 km/h for expressways. However, these proposals were abandoned.

Under the new provisions, speed limits will now also apply to the average speed recorded over a specific road section. This means drivers may be penalized not only for instantaneous speeding but also for maintaining an average speed above the legal limit over designated stretches.

The introduction of average speed monitoring sparked debate. Angel Georgiev from  Vazrazhdane criticized the measure, calling it “a fine-collection machine,” and questioned the transparency around how the revenue from such fines would be used.

Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov said he conducted a personal experiment by strictly adhering to all speed limits while driving from Varna to Sofia, which took him 8 hours and 12 minutes. "Varna to Sofia in 8 hours at 55 km/h—is that what you want?" he asked rhetorically in Parliament.

In response, Kalin Stoyanov from MRF–New Beginning clarified that average speed will be measured only on road sections with consistent speed limits, typically between 50 and 60 km/h.

According to the legal definition introduced in the bill, “average speed” refers to the speed at which a vehicle covers a designated road section over a specific period of time, measured using automated technical devices or a section control system. The system will use cameras installed at both the entry and exit points of the monitored segment.

Parliament's plenary sitting was adjourned due to a lack of quorum before completing the second reading of the amendments to the Road Traffic Act.