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More motorists could be prosecuted with evidence supplied by civilian Traffic Officers, road campaigners say

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Traffic Officers can report motorists who ignore their directions

22nd May 2007

A driver was fined £60 and given three points on his licence after the Highways Agency employees complained about his driving to the police. It's the second time in a month someone has ended up in court after being reported by Traffic Officers.

Association of British Drivers' spokesman Paul Biggs claimed: "This is a sign of things to come. There are less police on the roads and more civilians doing their job. Normal traffic cops are becoming obsolete."

In the latest case, the driver was reported after ignoring Traffic Officer instructions on the M60 in Lancashire not to use a lane which was closed ahead. This is only the second time that such a prosecution has been made. The other incident involved a motorist who ignored Traffic Officer instructions not to use the hard shoulder on the M25 after an accident. He was fined £500 and given three points. A Highways Agency spokesman said: "The only powers Traffic Officers have are to direct motorists to do things. If drivers ignore them, officers can report actions that cause a danger to them or other road users. It's not a Traffic Officer's job to report people for speeding or dangerous driving."