North Macedonia upgrades road safety with EU vehicle donation and new intelligent transport system laws

Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski announced that five existing laws are being amended to allow the deployment of intelligent transport systems (ITS) on the country's highways. The changes are part of the EU‑backed reform agenda and involve cooperation with the EU delegation, the World Bank and a €13 million grant from the Western Balkans Support Mechanism. Planned ITS installations include weight‑in‑motion sensors, hazardous‑material monitoring, air‑pollution measurement on Corridor 10 (A1/E75), and the creation of a national traffic‑management centre to provide real‑time information, improve safety and reduce travel time and emissions.

In a related move, the European Union donated 18 new vehicles – 16 specially equipped patrol cars, two monitoring vehicles and a control‑centre vehicle – to the State Transport Inspectorate. The fleet is intended to enhance road‑safety inspections, control overweight trucks, hazardous‑goods transport and overall traffic supervision across North Macedonia.