M65 HATOs - renewed funding?

[rob-c]

Used to see loads of them in early 2006, then they gradually disappeared.

Now a couple of weeks into the new year - they're out and about again! Did they use up
last year's funding too soon and have to curtail the service till 2007? I wonder.

[gafferjim]

No, they have been patrolling as normal. There is 1 patrol that looks after M6 junction 31, down and onto the M65 along to junction 10, after that the motorway actually belongs to Lancs CC, not the Highways Agency, so HATO's don't patrol past J10. With the recent amount of bad weather (including today!) there has been a lot of major incidents on the M6, and these patrols can be called in to help, especially where a number of patrols & police are required, Just listening to the radio 10 minutes ago, there is a full motorway closure on between J32 and J33, that will take ALL the HATO's from around that area to manage it, as there's the actual 4 lane motorway to divert off at J32, then there's the sliproad from J32 to close, then there's the actual incident to manage, including trying to get the traffic that's trapped between the incident and the closed junction either turned around and rearward released, or a section of central barrier removed and a contraflow system set up on the Southbound c/way.
It's days like to today that ALL the services will be severly stretched if not over-stretched. One week ago during the high winds, we did over 230 jobs in an 8 hour shift in the NW alone, with 32 of them being RTC's, not counting any other live-lane work, ie debris, breakdowns etc.

Edited by gafferjim on Thursday 18th January 12:47