“There is no person who drives a motor vehicle in Skopje and does not see the benefits of the Safe City system. Reckless driving on the streets is gone, extreme speeds are gone, and this is clearly visible. There is no longer that impatience. The number of traffic accidents is decreasing, the number of injured persons is decreasing, and the goal we wanted to achieve clearly has strong public support,” said the Minister of Interior Panče Toškovski, among other things, during last night’s appearance on the show “Click Plus” on TV 21.
Minister Toškovski emphasized that all of us who live in Macedonia, especially citizens within Skopje, Kumanovo and Tetovo, have proven that we can act differently and that we can truly implement European values through a European project in Macedonia.
“During the testing period, we started with an established number of violations exceeding 100,000, and there were even days when the number exceeded 120,000. Today, the number of violations ranges around 500, 600, 700, and on some days 800, which is drastically lower compared to before. The violations currently detected by the system are speeding, running a red light, and driving an unregistered motor vehicle. These violations are currently identified by the system. In the future, illegal stopping and parking will also be detected and recorded as violations by these smart cameras,” the Minister explained, adding that the goal was not to fill the state budget, but to save even one more human life.
“I am confident that this project will not only bring order to the chaos, but will also give us hope that Macedonia, through hard work, dedication, and joint effort by all citizens, can become a much better place to live. In Skopje, a smart green wave is currently in the implementation phase. Once fully implemented, traffic flow should increase, meaning we expect around a 30% faster vehicle flow. This system will cover all boulevards within the city of Skopje, which will significantly improve traffic circulation. Intensive work is underway to implement this solution,” Minister Toškovski stated, adding that studies and experience with traffic light timers have shown that they are more harmful than beneficial.