Road Traffic Controllers
Direct road traffic and pedestrian flows on, near and adjacent to roads during road closures and part road closures due to construction, maintenance, roadside works, public events and emergency responses.
An afternoon on the stop-slow
You are a road traffic controller holding a stop-slow sign at one end of a roadworks site, in radio contact with a second controller at the other end. It is 2pm and the sun is high. The crew behind you is working on a drainage trench near the road, and you have been on your feet since seven.
Choose what you would do. Then see what happens. There are often good reasons for each choice.
How much longer are you going to hold us here? I've been waiting for ten minutes and I'm already late. Let me through. There's nobody coming, I can see the whole road.
Wave him through, since the road ahead looks clear
A truck comes around the bend as he enters the single lane, and both stop suddenly. Nobody is hurt, but the crew had been working a metre from the lane. You can't see what the other controller can see.
Tell him to calm down and ignore his questions
He stays put but gets angrier, and the next driver copies him. The sign was right, but a short reply would have helped the whole queue.
Tell him calmly it is a few more minutes, and keep the sign to stop
He mutters, but waits. A truck comes through a minute later, and he can see why he waited. Staying polite and holding the sign are both part of the job.
I'm struggling a bit. I've been on this sign since seven and my head is foggy. I just forgot which direction was next. Can you cover for a moment while I take a break? I don't want to miss it.
Tell her to take a break and ring the supervisor for a relief
The supervisor sends another controller within ten minutes, and Jodie rests. Both of you feel better. Tiredness is a hazard like any other, and saying so is part of the role.
Say you're fine, you can cover for her, and keep your own sign going
You manage both ends for five minutes, but it's hard and you make an error with a truck. Covering is kind, but it needs the supervisor to arrange it properly.
Tell her to push through, because the shift is nearly over
Jodie stays at her sign and makes a small mistake, letting two vehicles meet in the single lane. Everyone brakes in time, but it was close. A tired controller is a hazard.
I'm taking kids home and I've got to get through. There's a little girl on the bus who is feeling sick. Can you let me through ahead of the others? It won't take long, I promise.
Let the bus through at once, since there's a child on it
The bus passes quickly, but a car in the queue sees it and tries to follow, and you have to stop it. Letting one vehicle go changes the flow for everyone. A call to the other end first would have been safer.
Radio the other end, then let the bus through
Jodie holds her traffic and you wave the bus through in the next gap. The child is home in minutes. Quick help and an organised flow are not opposites.
Tell the bus driver to wait like everyone else
The child is sick and the bus waits for ten more minutes. A parent complains later, and the supervisor asks why you didn't call. A rule should still leave space to ask.
How it went
The trench is filled and the cones are collected at the end of the day. Traffic control is about patience, clear signals and looking after the safety of the crew and every driver who passes. Could you hold your ground for hours when people around you are in a rush?
This is a simplified, fictional situation to help you explore. It is not professional instruction or a test of your ability.
Case study: The ambulance in the queue
A fictional case set in a roadworks site on a two-lane road, with a temporary stop-slow system and a crew working beside the traffic.
The situation
Hamza was a traffic controller on a single-lane stretch of road with a stop-slow sign at each end. A queue of about twenty cars had built up on his side while a truck came through from the other direction. In his mirror he saw an ambulance approaching with its lights on, far behind the queue, and drivers began to look around, unsure what to do. The other controller was out of sight around a bend.
What they did
Hamza radioed the other controller to hold the truck, then walked down the line and signalled drivers to move over where they could. He kept the stop sign facing the opposite side until the ambulance had passed the work area, and waved it through. Once clear, he radioed again and restarted the flow.
How it turned out
The ambulance reached its destination without delay. Hamza noted the time and the incident in his log. His supervisor later praised his calm radio call, and he said that the training drills had taught him what to say without having to think.
What would you do?
- How would you stay calm with a queue of confused drivers?
- Why do you think the radio call came first?
- What would you do if the other controller did not answer?