Traffic Police in Sofia Will No Longer Register Polluting Cars

Traffic Police in Sofia will no longer register cars that pollute the air. Within a month, inspections will be launched in the streets of Sofia to check for excessive amounts of harmful emissions. Environment Minister Neno Dimov pledged to get funding so that the measures could be applied across the country.

Exhaust fumes are the main source of air pollution. A study has found that only 6.5% of the cars are major contributors to air pollution in Sofia. One quarter of the city's harmful emissions come from them. As part of the measures to tackle the problem, Sofia Municipality on 4th of January gave 7 gas analyzers to Sofia Traffic Police. They will be used at the first car registration to measure and assess whether the levels of harmful exhaust gases are increased.

Commissioner Tencho Tenev, Chief of Traffic Police explains that in recent months, there has been a boom in registrations, with more than 14,000 cars registered in December. About 5 to 10 per cent of these are over 15 years old. That's why the new devices come just in time. They cost 70,000 BGN and are paid from the budget of Sofia municipality, he added.

Similar, but mobile gas analyzers will be used to check vehicles in the streets.

Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia, said that the study showed that about 60% of the air pollution comes from the car traffic and about 40% of the burning of household solid fuels. In winter, the pollution mainly comes from household solid fuel, but we are obliged to take all possible measures, in all aspects, the mayor said.

In order to avoid registrations of polluting cars in other cities where there is no control with gas analyzers, the Environment Minister promised to find funding for more such devices./ Bulgarian National Television