Two-thirds of truck scales in Bulgaria out of order

Two-thirds of Bulgaria’s national toll system scales remain nonfunctional, according to documents from the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works responding to PP-DB parliamentarian Bozhidar Bozhanov. Only one-third of truck weight sensors are operational, while others undergo maintenance, reconfiguration, or software updates, raising questions about oversight of heavy vehicle traffic that is damaging roads and endangering motorists.

20% of the 295 fixed checkpoints across republican roads require scheduled maintenance, while 80% function properly. The ministry maintains remote monitoring capabilities and deploys mobile teams to address problems, prioritizing restoration along major corridors and border crossings.

Bozhanov said limited equipment failures are acceptable, but widespread scale-outages undermine monitoring of overloaded trucks that deteriorate pavement and create fatal hazards. Lawmakers and specialists challenge the adequacy of freight traffic controls, given the substantial disabled equipment needed to protect infrastructure and prevent crashes.