Unmarked police vehicles have begun operating across Plovdiv, the Trakia highway, and key regional roads in Bulgaria, as authorities step up efforts to curb aggressive driving and serious traffic violations.
The vehicles, which carry no external police markings, allow officers to observe road behavior more discreetly. When they detect dangerous driving, they overtake the offending vehicle and activate a rear-window electronic sign reading “Police, follow me” or “Police, pull over,” after which the driver is taken out of traffic for inspection. Officials from the Traffic Police in Plovdiv said administrative sanctions are applied in line with the violations identified.
Chief Inspector Radoslav Nachev, head of the Traffic Police sector in Plovdiv, confirmed that these patrols are active both inside the city and on suburban routes, including the Trakia highway.
Alongside road enforcement, a new laboratory in Plovdiv is scheduled to begin operations on August 1 for analyzing blood samples from drivers who test positive in roadside drug screenings. Regional Interior Ministry Director Commissioner Vasil Kostadinov said results from the lab should be available within two to three days. “After more than three years of almost nothing being done on this issue, by August 1 we will have a working laboratory that will provide the final results within a few days,” he stated.
