Tracking the State-Sponsored Roadside Assistance: ACF Investigation Reveals Possible Abuse at Road Infrastructure Agency Worth Hundreds of Millions

A new investigation by the Anti-Corruption Fund Foundation (ACF) has uncovered a scheme, worth at least BGN 14 million (just over EUR 7 million) per month, for the illegal subcontracting of road maintenance activities.

Since 2025, the Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA) has illegally subcontracted the provision of free 24-hour roadside assistance to the company Unit Assist LTD. For its part, the company uses at least 11 subcontractors.

The owner of Unit Assist, Yulian Yankov, known by the nickname “The Potato”, has over 15 convictions for various crimes, including fraud and car theft, specifically using a tow truck for roadside assistance. Yankov had been rehabilitated just before Unit Assist received its license, which allowed his company to operate.

The investigation raises another question: how long these illegal subcontracting activities have been going on, given that the provision of free roadside assistance has been a constant feature of road maintenance contracts since at least 2014.

To date, neither the Road Infrastructure Agency, nor the Ministry of Interior, nor any other institution has publicly informed citizens about the existence of such a service. In theory, it means that, in the event of an accident, drivers have the right to have their vehicles towed away free of charge to the nearest safe point. Witnesses from the industry also speak of attempts, aided by public institutions, to impose a monopoly in favour of Unit Assist, as well as pressure exerted on competitors, threats, and extortion of victims of traffic accidents.

A free service, worth millions, that no one has heard of

The new, free service was first mentioned publicly in November 2025 by RIA’s director, Eng. Yordan Valchev, during a hearing at the National Assembly. In response to a question from a member of parliament, Eng. Valchev said that the service had been available for the public since the summer of 2025.

“Documents refute Eng. Valchev’s claims, as the service in question is mentioned in all road maintenance contracts since 2014,” said Sofia Zheleva, legal expert at the ACF.

Currently, 33 contracts for the maintenance of the national road network are in force. They were concluded between 2022 and 2024. According to the provisions of these contracts, each assistance truck on 24-hour standby receives, on average, BGN 140 per hour. In addition, RIA pays between BGN 216 and BGN 370 (EUR 111 and EUR 190) for each vehicle towed, with the unit price varying depending on the season and location.

According to industry representatives, there are over 70 locations along the national road network. At each location, there are two assistance vehicles on standby — one for light vehicles and one for trucks. This costs Bulgarian taxpayers more than BGN 14 million (EUR 7.158 million) per month or approximately BGN 170 million (EUR 87 million) per year just for the 24-hour stand-by service. If similar amounts have been paid since 2014, this potentially means that the Bulgarian state has spent over BGN 1 billion (EUR 511 million) to date. That is why RIA owes an answer to the question of how long the service has been available and how much has been paid for it so far.

“Despite the significant amounts that have probably been paid for this service, there is no evidence that it has ever been officially communicated and actually used by citizens,” Zheleva said. “To date, neither RIA, nor the Ministry of Interior, nor any other public institution has publicly informed citizens about the existence of such a service.”

The ACF team sent official inquiries to RIA regarding the payments made and the number of vehicles towed, but the agency has refused to provide the information. The only fact confirmed by RIA was the existence of the service, yet the agency denied having made payments for its provision to date.

RIA’s answer contradicts unofficial information provided to ACF by an agency employee who claimed that only for the period from 2018 to 2022 (excluding the winter months), and under the road maintenance contract for the Hemus highway, RIA paid for roadside assistance provided to 439 vehicles.

Unit Assist: a monopoly with institutional support

Road maintenance is carried out under contracts between RIA and various private companies. There are contracted companies for each administrative region. This is in addition to six contracts concerning the motorway network.

Since August 2025, all contractors under the 33 contracts in force have subcontracted the provision of free roadside assistance to a single private company designated by RIA, namely Unit Assist.

“The reassignment of contracted activities, whereas this has not been stipulated in said public procurement contracts, constitutes a violation of the law,” said Zheleva.

In an official letter dated January 2026, RIA instructed the Ministry of Interior’s regional directorates to contact Unit Assist whenever roadside assistance was needed. According to sources, calls to 112 are forwarded to RIA, which then directs them to Unit Assist.

“There is no contract that provides the legal basis for a public institution to redirect traffic accident reports to a private company,” said Zheleva.

This institutional support has effectively turned Unit Assist into a monopoly in the provision of roadside assistance services in Bulgaria. As of November 2025, however, the company has only five trucks. At the end of December, it registered five more with the Executive Agency “Road Transport Administration”. To meet the state’s expectations, the company itself has hired subcontractors, who have been asked to brand their vehicles with Unit Assist’s name and phone number. At least eleven different companies are said to be receiving between BGN 20,000 and BGN 30,000 (EUR 10,000 and 15,000) per month, excluding VAT, for their participation in the scheme.

“The lack of identification of the actual operator is grounds for deregistration and termination of activity,” said Zheleva.

In addition to the significant financial damage, the so-called free roadside assistance puts serious pressure on smaller companies in the sector, restricting competition and creating a risk of bankruptcies.

In some cases, motorists have been charged for the service, despite it being covered by the public budget. There are also reports of vehicles being taken to private parking lots without the owners’ consent and released only after additional payments were made.

“Our investigation shows a new application of the already well-established scheme of illegal subcontracting by the Road Infrastructure Agency,” said Boyko Stankushev, director of the ACF. “Once again, we see how public funds are diverted through several levels of subcontractors. We have shown how enormous resources are channelled into the wrong hands and how competition in a whole sector of the economy is distorted.”

“We call for full transparency, an independent audit of the contracts and clear communication with citizens on the topic of services funded by taxpayer money.”