DRIVERS have been given a boost as the Highways Agency announces it is moving to keep roads moving with more patrol officers.
The executive agency of the Department for Transport (DfT) is looking to increase the number of traffic officers for road networks across the south east.
Clearing stray animals and debris from the motorway, removing damaged and abandoned vehicles, helping in the aftermath of a serious incident or managing traffic after huge spills of anything from diesel to ketchup, can all be in a day's work for a traffic officer.
During road collisions and incidents Highways Agency traffic officers help to coordinate emergency services resources, manage traffic and are the people who re-open routes when it is safe to do so.
These officers are recognisable patrolling motorways in high visibility marked vehicles.
Highways Agency's head of on-road patrol John McTaggart said: "Patrolling the region's motorways and key roads offers real rewards and job satisfaction and the chance to work closely with partners such as the police and other emergency services."
The Traffic Officer Service has been in existence for nearly a decade and celebrates its tenth anniversary next year.
In this time it has changed and evolved into the service of today, where traffic officers are trained to a high standard in everything from safety to dealing with road users, traffic management and the use of technology.
More than 1,450 traffic officers manage and patrol England's network of motorways and trunk roads. They operate from seven regional control centres and 33 outstations around the country, working around the clock 365 days a year.
For more information visit http://www.highways.gov.uk
