Jam-busters start today
Traffic officers to help relieve congestion
Relieved of traffic management duties
We're told by the Highways Agency that Europe's busiest motorway saw the introduction today of new Highways Agency Traffic Officers, as the south-east became the second English region to go live with the service to ease congestion.
The new uniformed traffic officers have been patrolling motorways in the West Midlands for more than 12 months and now more than 150 of them -- both on-road and control room -- operate around-the-clock.
Working alongside police, the new Highways Agency traffic officers will start patrolling the Surrey sections of the M25 and M3, and the M23 in Sussex. They'll be driving "highly visible vehicles", and be managed from a new regional control centre in Godstone and five out-stations across the region which, including technology, cost £14 million. More will be introduced into Kent and Hampshire next year, covering a total of 255 miles of motorway in the south-east.
The HA said the system will eventually operate around the clock, with powers to take action and a focus on taking whatever steps are necessary -- as soon as possible -- to get traffic flowing. In co-operation with other relevant agencies such as the police roadside assistance and recovery organisations, they'll be able to take actions such ensuring 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 plan is that traffic officers deal with diversions, manage incidents and ensure the roads are running smoothly. They will help the police to manage the traffic after accidents to minimise hold-ups and delays. 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.
The new service will eventually comprise around 1,500 officers -- both on-road and in the control room -- and seven control centres across England. A phased introduction will see traffic officers on motorways in the north-west and north-east in September, east in October, south-west in December and East Midlands in February 2006.
Legal powers
They operate under the Traffic Management Act 2004, which gives traffic officers powers to stop traffic and close roads, lanes and carriageways; direct and divert traffic; place and operate traffic signs; and manage traffic and traffic surveys.
Secondary legislation, expected in 2006, extends these powers to cover the removal or arranging removal of broken down vehicles on the roads. It is an offence and could lead to a fine of up to £1,000, driving licence endorsement or disqualification not to comply with a traffic officers' directions or signs they have placed on the motorway.
Comment
The Government said it was committed to improving the country's road network, tackling congestion and improving management of traffic. Transport Minister Dr Stephen Ladyman, said: "We are investing billions of pounds to improve this country's road network. Minimising the congestion caused by accidents and managing traffic flow efficiently is vital if we are to ensure that traffic runs smoothly for both travellers and businesses.
"The new traffic officers will improve services to motorists - making journeys more reliable and ensuring that time spent in jams is kept to a minimum. By simplifying traffic management responsibilities, the new traffic officers will enable the police to focus their efforts on their core role of tackling crime."
Brian Moore, Deputy Chief Constable, Surrey Police, said: "Today's launch of the Highways Agency Traffic Officer Service will free up police resources to focus on core policing activity - tackling crime, dealing with serious collisions and incidents and improving poor driver behaviour on the motorways of the south-east.
"With levels of traffic on the increase and its associated congestion problems, the new alignment of roles will allow both the Highways Agency and the police to focus on core priorities to improve the service we give to the public."
Mhhhhhh, So if they put a sign up saying 60 and you do 65 you will be fined £1,000 for Speeding. Should pay for them selfs very quickley then :(
chris_crossley said:
"Secondary legislation, expected in 2006, extends these powers to cover the removal or arranging removal of broken down vehicles on the roads."
I'm more worried about this bit; we've had a few threads over the last couple of years where trafpol have insisted on arranging removal of breakdowns at vast expense to the driver, even when recovery services have already been called. Enshrining this principle in law and handing it over to jobsworth busybodies sounds like a worrying move to me... similar to the de-regulation of parking?
>> Edited by pdV6 on Friday 29th July 11:38
I assume it matters most where you cause a problem, but as always could quite happily apply to anyone on an empty road at night when the Plod feel like some more comission
Why not just have Plod keep people flowing by NOT driving at 70mph in lane 2 slowing everyone down, and try go a bit faster and tell MLOC members some truths about their inability to use correct lane discipline.
Simply stopping trucks overtaking with 0.1mph speed differentials would make a huge difference!
Dave
There is plenty of road capacity, its just in the wrong place !!!!.
Sorry guys, seriously though, there is plenty of road capacity, we just are not using it efficiently.
What would be a move in the right direction would be higher speeds, say 100mph, on the motorways with better lane discipline, to aid flow.
Some of the older Piston Heads may remember the days when we had regular "public information / education" films on the TV, I remember one on the inappropriate use of rear foglights in rain , and another on windscreen wipers, there were loads of them.
Today when traffic density is much higher and there is such inexplicably bad driving going on, we have nothing. The last contact someone has with driver education is "here you are sir/madam you have passed your test".
The only driver "education" ongoing is speed cameras !!!.
vbr cj
Mr Whippy said:
Why not just have Plod keep people flowing by NOT driving at 70mph in lane 2 slowing everyone down, and try go a bit faster and tell MLOC members some truths about their inability to use correct lane discipline.
Simply stopping trucks overtaking with 0.1mph speed differentials would make a huge difference!
Dave
So you're criticising people who keep within the law and are encouraging them to break it??? Careful Whippy, you know the Powers That Be monitor these forums! ;-)
I do think though that much congestion is caused by drivers themselves than any lack of road capacity - lane two and three hogging (that time when there's a train of cars all in the outside lane because the one at the front is trying to pass a coach in lane 2 but is in fact too scared to carry out the manoevre), rubbernecking, needless slowing for plod, dangerous lane changing, and both tailgating or leaving excessive braking gaps. If people drove a lot more sensibly and with more anticipation then traffic would move twice as quickly...
An increase in speed limits on motorways would also help, though I favour more variable limits according to time of day/weather conditions.
Slower, with more vehicles per mile of road helps, but brings with it longer journeys when the roads are lightly used.
The answer is variable speed limits, with lanes having different speeds.
Second point: can we have an information film and a public awareness campaign looking at when a queue occurs in an urban area dual carriageway. We often get traffic forming a queue in the left lane, and the right lane left clear, except for those who absurdly see it as open to them. Then they get in at the front by hook or by crook. Annoying behaviour, sometimes controlled by wide vehicles keeping them back. Better by far would be a recognition that all the road should be used, with traffic filling both lanes, halving the length of the tailback and then having a one and one merge to go throught the narrow point at the front of the queue. Turn and turn about. Fairer and less aggravating.
Anyone else think so?
>> Edited by johnclap on Friday 29th July 14:18
There was a report last year saying that we are (IIRC) losing 1/3 of the UK road capacity to the MLOC and drivers with poor lane discipline. Every time I pass an unlit gantry sign that isn't telling me about an accident or queuing I think 'well, why don't we use that to say KEEP LEFT UNLESS OVERTAKING'?
It would cost almost nothing and could offer huge rewards!
Gruffy
flamingm0 said:
I'm sure some improvement to traffic flow could come from driver education and better lane discipline on busy stretches but when all lanes are stacked up with no flow, I can't see much that will change that other than less cars or more road. Junctions are generally the root cause (can't really do without them!), two into one does not go, the concept is half into half if you get my drift. Slack space is required for merging traffic. I'm sure traffic consultants etc are well aware of these basic facts and can make recommendations until they're blue in the face but the problem is the Government not doing anything about it. I can't remember the last improvements for the sake of traffic flow and effienciency improvement near me. But hey - for road safety "schemes" crack open the red and white paint!
I will have to dissagree with the comment about "Traffic Consultants" being aware of basic facts etc as they do not seem to have a clue, just look at our road system. Anyone that puts traffic calming schemes in everywhere and then tries say that we have a problem with conjestion needs their sodding head read!!!!!!
They need to think a little bit and stop puitting sleeping policeman (speed bumps), bollards narrowing entrances to road etc.
If they stop the above and dispence with speed scameras perhaps the roads would not have so much conjestion and we would not need these extra coppers driving around annoying people on the roads.
However, I do strongly agree that better lane disipline is needed. I also agree that public information adverts on the TV should be brought back.
a) Sitting on the hard shoulder behind a broken down car 'chatting' to the occupants and creating an even bigger hazzard on the hard shoulder...
b) Travelling at 60mph imitating Traffic Police (They have Yellow and black compared to the Yellow and dark blue police 4x4's, very hard to notice), therefore causing everyone behing them to slam on the anchors...
Personally, unless these are marked up differently, I think these guys are just out to fool people into thinking they're police, which in turn causes massive traffic jams behing them...
Overhead signs still give wrong information and are inconsistent, and agrre with previous comments about imitating traffic police.
Yes I see them helping broken down motorists, but what are they doing?? How can they be helping increase safety for broken down motorists when the motorway is at a standstill.
Who judged the trial on the M6 to be sucessful?
Alicat
Instead, Big Bruv adds more traffic to the motorway in the form of highway helpers who a) cannot/will not actively improve traffic flow i.e. enforce proper lane discipline and b) only appear to be police, causing the quicker drivers to slow down unnecessarily and disrupt whatever sensible, natural rate of traffic flow might exist.
As mentioned before, public service plugs and better lane discipline have to be a better way to go methinks.
I wonder which train-taking, Volvo-740-driving consultant they hired to think up this hum-dinger of an idea...
>> Edited by ubergreg on Sunday 31st July 22:48
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