Safe City” System Will Soon Penalize Vehicles With Foreign License Plates at All Border Crossings

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has announced that, in the coming days, the “Safe City” system will initially become operational at the Tabanoc border crossing and subsequently at other border crossings, although a specific date for its full implementation has not yet been set.

The MIA says that within a few days, the system will be active at Tabanoc and will flag all drivers of vehicles with foreign license plates who have been recorded by the authorities as having committed a misdemeanor or criminal offense in the territory of North Macedonia. These individuals will be notified of the violation and issued a report for violating traffic regulations, along with a misdemeanor payment order. They will then be given the option of paying the fine or having the case referred to the relevant court through an expedited procedure. This mechanism will soon be expanded to all border crossings.

While the specific method for enforcing payment orders or conducting court proceedings remains to be clarified, the only real obstacle on the roads for foreign nationals continues to be traffic police patrols, known as interceptors. The MIA emphasizes that these units are continuously present along the main transit routes, specifically Corridors 8 and 10. However, given the high volume of traffic during the summer season, detecting all violations is physically impossible. This is precisely why the “Safe City” system was activated.