HIGHWAYS AGENCY News
Release (HA/41/08) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 9
September 2008
New powers for
Highways Agency Traffic Officers to remove and dispose of vehicles
from England's busiest roads are a step nearer today.
New regulations were laid before Parliament today following
informal and formal consultation, that will allow the Highways
Agency's Traffic Officer Service to authorise the removal of
certain broken down and abandoned vehicles from the strategic road
network, which includes England's motorways and major A roads.
Breakdowns on the strategic road network account for only around
one to two percent of all breakdowns. The regulations will give
Traffic Officers powers similar to those currently exercised by
the police.
The new regulations:
* provide Traffic Officers with similar
powers to the police to authorise the removal of broken down
vehicles and vehicles that are permitted to remain at the rest in
contravention of certain statutory restrictions or prohibitions,
or to authorise the removal of such vehicles that are causing an
obstruction or danger to other road users and vehicles that have
been abandoned on the strategic road network;
* provide the Secretary of State with powers to store and dispose
of abandoned vehicles removed by Traffic Officers;
Derek Turner, the Highways Agency's Director of Network
Operations, said,
"Giving our Traffic Officers these new powers was always
envisaged to complement the work they are already doing around the
clock to improve safety and reliability on our motorways. We
completed a successful consultation earlier and the responses
positively supported Traffic Officers authorising the removal of
broken down and abandoned vehicles."
The Highways Agency undertook a successful consultation in the
winter, ending in February. The consultation paper was sent to
over 130 individuals and organisations. The paper was also
available on the Highways Agency's website. Most respondents
were supportive of the proposals.
Traffic Officers will help keep carriageways and hard shoulders
clear of vehicles which appear to have been abandoned or broken
down or are permitted to remain at rest in contravention of
certain statutory restrictions or prohibitions and cause
obstruction or danger to other road users as well as keeping
traffic moving safely.
Parliamentary approval of the new regulations will then pave the
way for the Highways Agency to work with a National Vehicle
Recovery Manager and commence training of Traffic Officers. The
National Vehicle Recovery Manager will run a recovery and removal
service working alongside Traffic Officers and it is anticipated
that the new arrangements will operate early next year.
The police will retain their powers to remove and dispose of
vehicles but the extension of similar powers to Traffic Officers
will free up police time.
The Highways Agency supports the valued role of motoring clubs /
road rescue organisations and other suitable private arrangements
since these will continue to provide the vast majority of vehicle
removals from carriageways and hard shoulders.
The Highways Agency has consulted regularly with the police and
the vehicle recovery industry about the regulations.
Anyone needing more information about the proposals can visit the
dedicated pages on the Highways Agency's website at http://www.highways.gov.uk/vehiclerecovery.
Information is also available by emailing
NVRP@highways.gsi.gov.uk or by writing to Kelly Luther, Network
Operational Policy Team, Woodlands 1st Floor, Manton Lane,
Bedford, MK41 7LW.
END
Notes to Editors
1. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department
for Transport, which manages, maintains and improves the network
of trunk roads and motorways in England on behalf of the Secretary
of State.
2. The new regulations are to be called 'Removal and
Disposal of Vehicles (Traffic Officers) (England) Regulations 2008'
3. The summary of responses to the consultation titled "The
Removal, Storage and Disposal of Vehicles by Traffic Officers and
the Secretary of State for Transport" is available from http://www.highways.gov.uk.
For hard copies please email NVRP@highways.gsi.gov.uk or contact
Kelly Luther, Network Operational Policy Team, Woodlands 1st
Floor, Manton Lane, Bedford, MK41 7LW.
4. The Highways Agency and Police undertook a review of their
roles and responsibilities on the strategic road network. This
resulted in the introduction of the Traffic Officer Service,
beginning in November 2004. The review concluded that certain
traffic management functions should be transferred to the Highways
Agency. It was agreed that the removal of vehicles in certain
prescribed circumstances was a function which in the future,
should be carried out by the Traffic Officers.