Traffic Management Act 2004

Traffic officers for England and for Wales

1Traffic officers: introduction

(1)This Part makes provision for the designation of individuals as traffic officers by, or under an authorisation given by, the Secretary of State or the Assembly.

(2)The duties assigned to traffic officers must be connected with, or intended to facilitate or to be conducive or incidental to—

(a)the management of traffic on the relevant road network; or

(b)the performance of any other functions of the appropriate national authority (in its capacity as a traffic authority or highway authority).

(3)In subsection (2) “the relevant road network” means—

(a)the network of relevant roads in England (in the case of traffic officers designated by, or under an authorisation given by, the Secretary of State); or

(b)the network of relevant roads in Wales (in the case of traffic officers designated by, or under an authorisation given by, the Assembly).

(4)Traffic officers shall have such special powers (for use in connection with the performance of their duties) as are referred to in section 5(1).

(5)In this Part “relevant road” means a road in England for which the Secretary of State is the traffic authority or a road in Wales for which the Assembly is the traffic authority.

2Designation of traffic officers

(1)The appropriate national authority may—

(a)designate individuals as traffic officers; and

(b)authorise another person to designate individuals as traffic officers.

(2)An authorisation under subsection (1)—

(a)must be given (and may be varied or withdrawn) in writing; and

(b)may be given subject to such limitations and conditions as the appropriate national authority thinks appropriate.

(3)The designation of an individual as a traffic officer must be made (and may be withdrawn) in writing.

(4)A designation may provide that it is to remain in force (unless it is withdrawn or otherwise ceases to have effect) for a specified period.

(5)A traffic officer designated under an authorisation must be employed by, or by a person providing services to, the authorised person.

(6)An individual designated under an authorisation shall cease to be a traffic officer if the person who appointed him either withdraws his designation or ceases to be authorised.

(7)The appropriate national authority may direct an authorised person to withdraw immediately the designation of all or any of the individuals who have been designated by that person.