United Kingdom – Highways Agency Traffic Officers have extended their patrols to Leicestershire since 16 May 2006 to help tackle congestion and improve safety on the county’s motorways.

Uniformed traffic officers will work alongside Leicestershire Police to manage incidents and keep traffic moving on the M1 between junctions 24 and 18, and to junction 1 of both the M69 and M6.

Based at an outstation near Shepshed (J23), 25 Traffic Officers in black and yellow chequered vehicles will patrol nearly 60 additional miles of the East Midlands Motorway Network.

They are supported by staff in the regional control centre based at Nottingham Business Park at junction 26 of the M1 who deploy Traffic Officers to incidents, co-ordinate the response of emergency services and monitor traffic conditions.

They also set the motorway’s overhead electronic signs and answer the emergency roadside telephones. The service has operated on the M1 on the 35 miles of motorway between junction 30 and 24 since February 2006.

The control centre operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and together with the on-road crew have dealt with an average of 53 incidents each day since it was opened by former Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling.

Roads Minister Stephen Ladyman said:
"This is excellent news for drivers in Leicestershire. There is now a team of highly trained professionals helping ensure they have more reliable journey times, safer roads, and better information about conditions on the East Midlands motorway network.

"Since February, Highways Agency Traffic Officers in the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire have been working with the Police and Agency contractors to deal with incidents quickly and help free up valuable police resources. This service has now been expanded to help keep traffic moving in Leicestershire."

Assistant Chief Constable Mike Goodwin of Leicestershire police, said:
"The Highways Agency Traffic Officer service has proved a great success in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire and will now create a combined team to make the motorways of Leicestershire safer and less congested.

"Their introduction is a positive move which will allow us to free up police resources to increase the time spent patrolling our roads to concentrate on law enforcement and criminality."

Traffic Officers keep traffic moving by helping broken down motorists, drivers involved in collisions and by removing debris from the carriageway. They have powers to stop and direct traffic and can provide mobile and temporary road closures.

In April 2006 alone Traffic Officers have dealt with 1612 incidents and taken 2020 calls in its control room.

The Highways Agency has invested £7.6 million in setting up the new service in the East Midlands and by this summer, the Regional Control Centre will be headquarters to 26 control room staff and 84 Traffic Officers who will patrol over 180 miles of motorways in Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire.