Extended roles for Traffic Officers in the South East

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Highways Agency Traffic Officers in the South East have been given new powers.

In the most significant development of their role since the Highways Agency Traffic Officer Service took to the roads in the West Midlands in 2004, Traffic Officers have received new powers from the Government to order the quick and safe removal of abandoned, broken down and accident-damaged vehicles from the motorway network.

The new powers are designed to ensure that any incidents without a police interest, such as non-injury accidents, can be cleared up as safely and as quickly as possible – keeping drivers on the move. Depending on the circumstances, Highways Agency Traffic Officers, working with the Highways Agency’s National Vehicle Recovery Manager (NVRM) and their local vehicle recovery operators, will now be able to arrange removal from the motorway carriageway or hard shoulder – including cars, lorries, coaches and other vehicles causing a danger to other road users. Previously, Traffic Officers had to rely on arrangements with the police and their network of local police contracts with recovery operators.

The new powers were approved in Parliament last year, coming into effect on 01 October 2008 but are only being used as the NVRM is rolled out. Most drivers breaking down will be unaffected by the changes. As usual, they will be given reasonable time to make their own suitable private arrangements for recovery.

Traffic Officers in the Eastern Region became the first in the country to utilise the new powers last month (January) and have now been joined by their colleagues in the South East.

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