Wardens set to replace olice at roadside checks
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• by Miles Brignall Roadside checks are regularly cancelled because police officers are not available to stop vehicles— but that could change under Home Office plans for traffic wardens to take over many of the police's motoring duties.
Currently only uniformed police officers have the power to stop vehicles, but the Home Office is considering giving wardens the authority to stop and detain motorists, leaving the police to concentrate on more serious criminal behaviour.
Home Secretary David Blunkett has ordered a review of police powers, and civil servants have produced a 34-page document outlining how the new role for traffic wardens could work.
If the proposal is approved roadside checks would become a core activity for the wardens. This would be welcomed by Vehicle Inspectorate staff, who regularly arrive at roadside checks but are forced to go home because the police officer who was due to detain the trucks is appearing in court or interviewing a suspect.
The Freight Transport and Road Haulage Associations want traffic wardens to be given these powers, and the Transport Select Committee has also called for wardens to be allowed to man VI checks on the police's behalf A spokeswoman for the VI says: "We have read with interest of the plan to give traffic wardens increased powers. We are not aware of any proposal to give our staff any new powers but we continue to monitor the situation closely.'