The Executive Agency “Road Transport Administration” has begun roadside inspections using new specialised devices (antennas) for the remote detection of tachograph violations. At present, the Agency has seven antennas that enable the identification of potential violations from a distance without stopping every truck or bus. Once a signal is received from the antenna, inspectors carry out a full inspection of the respective vehicle. This makes enforcement more effective and allows inspections to be directed at vehicles posing a real risk of violations, rather than relying on random checks.
Over two days (27 February and 11 March 2026), inspectors from the Agency carried out checks in the Blagoevgrad, Plovdiv and Haskovo regions. During the inspections, 108 trucks and buses were examined. A total of 27 violations were identified. Fifteen of them were related to tachographs and the requirements concerning drivers’ working time and rest periods. The violations included driving without an inserted digital card, the use of another driver’s digital card, failure to make manual entries during periods away from the vehicle, lack of a tachograph printout, the use of a tachograph that had not undergone a technical inspection, as well as infringements related to driving time and rest periods.
A further 12 violations were also established. These included technical defects, the absence of a route timetable, the lack of a certified copy of a licence or certificate, the absence of a completed trip sheet, irregular driver documentation, and driving without a valid driver qualification card. In one case, a vehicle was taken out of service until the identified technical defect was rectified.
The results show that the use of the antennas significantly improves the effectiveness of inspections, enabling the early detection of violations that directly affect road safety. The new approach reduces the need for random checks and focuses enforcement efforts on vehicles posing a genuine risk of non-compliance.