A trunk road agency is a partnership between two or more county councils in Wales. Trunk road agencies are responsible for managing the maintenance of motorways and trunk roads in their respective areas.
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There are currently three trunk road agencies:
Traffic officers are civilian staff employed by the trunk road agencies as a means to ease traffic congestion on major trunk roads in Wales. Their role and powers are similar to their English counterparts working for the Highways Agency, the Highways Agency Traffic Officers.
They were established in order to assist police officers from Gwent Police and South Wales Police by removing part of their workload with regards to at breakdowns and collisions.
Currently in a pilot phase, officers work day shifts 7 days a week, 365 days a year patrolling the M4 from the Second Severn Crossing Toll Plaza to Junction 34, and along the A470 from Coryton to Abercynon in South Wales. A similar trial exists along the other major trunkroad in Wales, the A55 which runs through North Wales, this is being run by the North Wales Trunk Road Agency on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government.
In addition to a number of exemptions from the Road Traffic Act and Motorway Regulations (such as stopping on the hard shoulder, driving/reversing on the hard shoulder), Traffic Officers derive powers from the Traffic Management Act 2004.
Officers must follow the directions of a police constable,[3] and to exercise their powers, must be on duty and in uniform.[4]
For the purposes of:[4]
a traffic officer may:[5]
Assaulting, resisting or willfully obstructing an officer are offences.[7] It is also an offence to impersonate an officer, or for an officer to claim they enjoy more powers than they do.[7] Traffic officers do not have any powers of detention; to search, issue fixed penalties or report for summons for any motoring offence. Traffic officers are not exempt from any traffic laws and MUST at all times comply with the posted speed limits and red traffic lights.
Drivers are obliged by the Traffic Management Act 2004 to comply with the directions given by officers.[8] This is briefly explained in the Highway Code:
Traffic Officers have powers to stop vehicles on most motorways and some 'A' class roads. If traffic officers in uniform want to stop your vehicle on safety grounds (e.g. an insecure load) they will, where possible, attract your attention by
- flashing amber lights, usually from behind
- directing you to pull over to the side by pointing and/or using the left indicator
You MUST then pull over and stop as soon as it is safe to do so. Then switch off your engine. It is an offence not to comply with their directions.