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Highways get new officers
Page 8
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IN Uniformed traffic officers from the Highways Agency will take over some key police roles on the UK's major roads from next year, the Department for Transport announced last week.
Around 1,200 officers nationally will be recruited to fit the new roles and the first phase of the scheme wit begin next year in the West Midlands.
It wit cost £30m to set up and £38m a year to run, but the Highways Agency says that the cost is more than justified because it wit help to alleviate congestion that is estimated to cost £2.9bn a year in delays on major roads alone.
The new Highways Agency officers will not deal with criminal offences, which wit remain the responsibility of the police, but wit be given new powers to direct traffic diversions, ensure roads are running smoothly and deal with many accidents. New Parliamentary legislation wit be needed to permit the new officers to stop and direct traffic, and the Department for Transport hopes this can be put through in time for the launch next summer.
The plans, which were formulated by the Highways Agency in conjunction with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), have met with approval from hauliers' associa tions. Freight Transport Association chief executive Richard Turner says the proposals are excellent news.
Hauliers also approve. Howard Wilson of Sutton Coldfield operator AD Humpherson, says: "It sounds good. Police often don't have the resources to deal quickly with accidents, so the extra manpower wit be very welcome."
The new system of officers will be run from a series of regional control offices but the police wit continue to investigate accidents.
Stephen Green, of ACP°, says: "By releasing police officers from traffic duties, they wit be able to spend more time and resources dealing with crime."