Skopje, 21 February 2025 (MIA) – All legal amendments in relation to national traffic safety will be filed to Parliament by late April. The Safe City system starts implementing officially as of January 1, 2026. Heightened police controls will resume, Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski said Friday addressing a public debate on amendments to the law on road safety and the offence law regarding the Safe City project.

A taskforce, he told the debate, has concluded that five laws should be changed allowing the project to function properly. These laws include the law on road safety, the law on offences, the law on vehicles, the criminal code and the law on execution of sanctions.

“All these laws are crucial and need to undergo changes in order to create a functioning systemic solution. This is the Interior Ministry’s number one priority,” Toshkovski said. 

We, the Minister noted, aim at changing traffic safety culture and reducing traffic offences and accidents. 

UNDP Resident Representative Armen Grigoryan said the UN agency was pleased to be the government’s partner in implementing the Safe City initiative, saying it is in line with the UN’s sustainable development goals.
According to him, one of the goals involves cutting down by half the number of traffic fatalities and injuries around the world. Being aware, Grigoryan said, of the high number of traffic accidents in this country, which is above the European average, we want to help the government reach the EU average, which is far below the current one. 

The Justice Ministry was tasked with drafting amendments to the law on road safety, the law on offences and the criminal code so as to make sure the Safe City project is implemented.

Friday’s public debate brought together representatives of the Public Security Bureau, ZELS, mayors, NGOs and experts. 

Photo: MoI