RECRUITMENT STARTS FOR HIGHWAYS AGENCY TRAFFIC OFFICERS

13 Jan 2005 09:15 AM

Recruitment starts this week for up to 160 uniformed Highways Agency Traffic Officers - a new uniformed service set to patrol motorways throughout South East England.

The Highways Agency Traffic Officers will help to keep traffic moving and ease congestion. They will work in partnership with the Police and will have powers to deal with any non-criminal disruptions involving anyone using the motorway, such as debris, stranded vehicles or minor incidents. This will help to free-up police time to concentrate on law enforcement and tackling crime.

More than 60 on-road Traffic Officers - supported by 40 staff in a regional control centre based at Godstone, Surrey - will start on the Surrey section of the M25, as well as all other motorways in the county, this summer. Staffing in the South East will increase to 160 by the end of 2006 covering motorways in Sussex, Kent and Hampshire.

David Jamieson, Transport Minister said:

"We are committed to making better use of the road network - tackling congestion and minimising delay. Highways Agency Traffic Officers are already making a significant impact on the motorways in the West Midlands, and I am delighted that we are soon to be able to introduce this service to people driving on busy motorways in the South East.

"Working with the police, the traffic officers will help to manage traffic on the motorways and offer any assistance they can in order to provide safe and reliable journeys to all motorway users."

Gary Bacon, who is leading the delivery of the service in the South East on behalf of the Highways Agency, said:

"We are now looking to recruit a significant number of staff to provide this new service and would encourage those people who feel they have the skills to do the job to respond to adverts appearing in newspapers and job centres in the South East."

Drivers will recognise Traffic Officers in their high visibility vehicles and uniforms. The vehicles have flashing red and amber lights to warn motorists of their presence and to help safeguard anyone stranded in the live carriageway or hard shoulder.

Highways Agency Traffic Officers are a uniformed motorway patrol service, which will eventually operate around the clock, with powers to stop and direct traffic and help get traffic flowing after an incident.

Note to Editors

1. The Agency's Traffic Officers will work in close co-operation with the police, roadside assistance and recovery organisations, the Agency's maintenance contractors and other organisations to ensure that equipment to carry out essential repairs and remove damaged vehicles is summoned quickly, that local diversion routes are opened up quickly and that timely and accurate information is relayed to motorists about the situation. The police will remain in overall control of dealing with the management and investigation of accidents, and they will continue to be responsible for enforcement of road traffic offences.

2. Regional Control Centres are operated jointly by the Agency and the police to monitor the motorway network and co-ordinate action when an incident occurs. There will eventually be 7 covering England, employing around 300 staff.

3. The Traffic Management Act 2004 became law in July 2004 giving Highways Agency Traffic Officers powers to:
a. Stop traffic and close roads, lanes and carriageways; b. Direct and divert traffic;
c. Place and operate traffic signs;
d. Manage traffic and traffic surveys

4. Secondary legislation to provide a further extension of powers is expected during 2005 to:
a. Cover the removal or arranging removal of abandoned or broken down vehicles on the roads;
b. Authorising exceptions and relaxations for other road users from the motorway regulations, such as the use of the hard shoulder

5. Failure to comply with a Highways Agency Traffic Officer's directions or sign they have placed on the motorway is an offence and could lead to:
a. A fine of up to 1,000
b. Driving License endorsement or disqualification

6. Job descriptions and application forms can be found by visiting www.betterhighways.co.uk

7. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport, which manages, maintains and improves the network of trunk roads and motorways in England on behalf of the Secretary of State. It works closely with other transport operators and with local authorities to integrate the trunk road network with the rest of England's roads and other forms of transport.

8. Information about roadworks and road conditions on the motorways and trunk roads in England is available from the Highways Agency Information Line on 08457 504030, and website: www.highways.gov.uk.

Issued by the Highways Agency Press Office. For further information please contact Peter Morgan on 07786 174 258. Out of hours contact the Highways Agency Duty Press Officer on 020 7081 7443.