As these guys are now patrolling the motorways I would just like clarification on their powers and abilities.
According to the Highways Agencies they have no more powers than you or I and 'haven't sought them'.
So presumably they can not pull me over. Report me for speeding. I can ignore their directions and instructions as I wish.
Is this not true?
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They can't pull you over, however, according to the notice in the toilets of Winchester services, it is an offence not to obey their instructions.
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I read often, only post occasionally
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There are lots of things written on the toilets in Winchester services, you dont believe them either do you?
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Thommo
Following a 12% reduction on Police Traffic Officers HMG are trying to fill the gap with Highway Agency Traffic Officers that are currently working the Motorways, all of which will be covered by the end of the year.
Have look-a-like liveried blue titted vehicle with HIGHWAY AGENCY at the rear. Dressed like Police but their slip ons have an orange top.
They are there to assist the free flow of traffic and responsible for dealing with:
Abandonded and broken down vehicle and their removal.
Temporary mobile or static road closures.
Clearing debris and animals off the carriageways
Minor repairs to the infrastructure.
Assist police at scenes of accidents, signing etc. but not investigation.
Basically high visibility patrolling and escort of abnormal loads.
They also man combined Traffic Control Centres with Police monitoring by CCTV traffic flows.
At the moment, as far as I am aware, they have no police enforcement powers, except I would suspect to direct traffic, failure to comply an offence. They have no power to check your speed etc, but they could be used as a normal person to give a statement to prove dangersour driving etc.
Whilst at the moment no police powers I have an awful feeling that by this time next year they will have been given power to pull you inspect docs and issue FPN for the minor straight forward traffic offences (including speeding).
Like CSO"s another way of policing on the cheap. HMG not prepared to spend cash on maintaining real Traffic Officers but can spend chasing non existent WMD.
DVD
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And all this fun and grief from disruntled motorists for the princely sum of £16k per year.
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And all this fun and grief from disruntled motorists for the princely sum of £16k per year.
Hold on a tick. Most of them are retired traffic officers, and this seems to be the recruiting pool for future ones so its...
16k year PLUS the police pension.
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according to the notice inthe toilets of Winchester services,
Frankly, I have found that some of the notices found in some toilets are just impossible to comply with!
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Last Saturdays Telegraph -
tinyurl.com/eyrx8
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DVD,
'Blue titted'.
Are you sure about this? All the vehicles I have seen had a yellow light bar. I assumed from this they were not allowed to have blue lights.
Also, can someone tell me what the penalty is for not complying with their 'instructions or directions'?
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They do a great job of bunching up the traffic while they cruise around at 70. I think they've deliberatley made them look like the police, to do a bit of policing on the cheap.
Why do they have big 4X4's, when the government keep telling us they're bad for everyone?
Why do they have rear facing alternating flashing red lights, just like the police?
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Information of the duties involved at:
www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/tcc/traf_off/index.h...m
(THIS LINK HAS BEEN IN USEFUL WEBSITES DIRECTORY FOR ABOUT A MONTH. HJ.)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What's for you won't pass you by
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"Why do they have rear facing alternating flashing red lights, just like the police?"
I guess their vehicles will be used for traffic management at incidents...I know I'd want lots of flashing lights on my vehicle when doing such work on a M-way :-)
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Possibly I am alone here, but I actually think they are a good idea, and feel that at long last some of the money I spend on roadtax is going where it is needed.
Hopefully they will collect debris off the carrigeway to stop me getting a puncture, Keep traffic flow (after an incident) moving to speed up my journey and might even help my other half and daughter should they breakdown at the side of the motorway.
There are lots of posts on here about where does all our money go - well now you can see something positive for it and yet there are still those who moan, there is no pleasing some people!!!!!
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Mmm, well I kind of agree.
I think a concern, or at least a concern of mine, is that of training. e.g. I don't want them messing with high speed traffic if they don't know what they're doing.
I also worry that it might be kind of like giving the local NCP carp park attendant some real power and a big vehicle - all sorts of abuses could take place.
That said, I've been whining for years about the lack of policing of our roads - I don't really care who does it or what they're called, but so long as they have the training, the wherewithall and the skills, they'll do as well as anyone else.
And at least it is some money being spent where it should and some slight movement away from total reliance on cameras.
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"There are lots of posts on here about where does all our money go - well now you can see something positive for it and yet there are still those who moan, there is no pleasing some people!!!!! "
How very true :-) and as you say, it is nice to see that money is being spent towards roads and roadusers - in this case to keep us moving despite drivers who insist on having collisions - all very avoidable too (I won't use the word "accident" as they are rarely "accidents").
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A good idea. You don't need full police powers and training to pick up the remains of a blow-out from the carriageway or to direct traffic at an accident.
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If that's what their duties stay at then fine. As DVD says though (and he's usually right about these things), I can't see them staying that way for long. Before you know it, they'll be enforcing speed limits, pulling cars over etc.
Here's a radical idea - why don't we recruit more Police? Oh yes. Cost.
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Adam
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Here's a radical idea - why don't we recruit more Police? Oh yes. Cost. --
Do you really want more Police on the Motorway? I don't. I would rather they are deployed in the urban areas where the crime rate is highest. I really cant see that the Highways staff will be given powers to stop or to evidence gather for speeding, there would be far to big an oppertunity for cases to be dimissed in court.
I saw three agancy vehicles last friday on the M25 between the M3 and the A2 all of them were attendig to minor accidents, then by the M23 there was a major accident with 2 ambulances and numerous Police cars, now where would those Police have been if it were not for the Highways staff!!! ( in all I saw 5 accidents during that 1 1/2 hour drive)
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It's a fair point TU. If the situation stays as it is then great. I can see it working a treat. I'm just sceptical that it will stay this week.
Don't forget, lowly civvies sit in the back of tranny vans and do you for speeding now. To be honest, I'd rather the HA did it than the "Safety Camera Partnerships".
Of course, I'd rather neither of them did it.
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Adam
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The Highways agency has had an enourmess amount of cash polwed into it. They drive around in their brand spanking new Range Rovers, whilst Police cars are falling apart. Their wages are also boosted by shift and weekend allowances. I reserve judgement on how much use they will actually be.
I'm another who thinks they will get a gradual increase in powers.
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The Highways agency has had an enourmess amount of cash polwed into it. They drive around in their brand spanking new Range Rovers, whilst Police cars are falling apart...
I think you're jumping the gun a bit there, Police Range Rovers and the like are also 'brand spanking new' at the start of their lives.
I for one am in favour of these Traffic Officers and I hope that they do certain extra powers.
I also hope that the Highways Agency are being slightly more selective with recruitment for these posts than contractors Amey Mouchel were when selecting their staff to man the Area 10 Highways Agency Incident Support Units.
I worked on these ISU's briefly and have never met such an incompetent and lazy bunch of idiots employed in a supposedly 'important' role. We had weeks and weeks of initial training, but it seemed to me that all went out of the window in practice.
The Traffic Officers vehicles I have seen so far have been fitted with new style LED lightbars which are clear coloured when off, just to keep you guessing, then orange when switched on.
PP
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where the crime rate is highest
And of course criminals don't use motorways. Traffic Officers also lock up real baddies....
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And of course criminals don't use motorways. Traffic Officers also lock up real baddies....
Oh I am quite sure the criminal element do use motorways, but most traffic officers deal with motoring offences, having said that give them an excuse for a good car chase and they don't turn them down!!! But they dont spend as much time investigating murders, muggings and the like do they?
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i'm not convinced that there's a lot of traffic crime on motorways worth policing. Most motorways don't move quickly enough for a police presence to be worthwhile; the police are mostly useful for collecting up bits of old motorcars, so I can see where the Government is coming from.
I'd rather see the police stopping the people who break into my house than cruising along motorways causing the traffic to bunch at 65mph (an indicated 70).
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But they dont spend as much time investigating murders, muggings and the like do they?
Nor do the uniformed beat bobbies, a funny bunch called CID do that...all the policing roles are needed, and as we see, when resources are scarce, civilianisation occurs - not in itself a bad thing if Policing become more effective as a results.
Drivers will always say chase the burglars, the burglar says chase the rapist, the rapist says chase the murderer...all subjective and not realistic I would suggest.
Not a convincing argument...you'll be wanting Police blue telephones back next and disband use of PR's ;-)
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1. My Force stopped using Range Rovers years ago. Couldn't afford to run them.
2. CID deal with muggings. Miight have done in Dixons day.!!
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/hair split mode on
2. CID deal with muggings
/hair split mode off
:-)
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Let's hope the deal with the lack of lane dicipline on the 3+ laned roads .... keep left unless overtaking, and don't park yourself in the middle lane.
Lane 1 is not the lorry lane, it is for all to use.
And anything that enables the roads to be reopened to traffic more quickly after a delay eg accident is be very welcome.
And when major intersections are closed and all the traffic is diveted onto the local roads, then back on to the major road, someone on point duty to assist with the traffic flow would be very welcome. For example, the A406 in London at the Waterworks junction, when the underpass is closed and the diverted traffic overwhelms the phasing of the lights causing long queues and delays to be the result.
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