Road Traffic Controller
What the work is
Directs road traffic and pedestrian flows on, near, or adjacent to roads during road closures or part road closures due to construction, maintenance, roadside works, public events or emergency responses.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Sets up, manages and removes temporary traffic control schemes and signs
- Directs vehicular and pedestrian traffic around construction zones, accidents or other road disruptions
- Uses a stop-slow sign and manages other similar traffic control signs and devices to direct traffic and ensure the safety of workers, motorists and pedestrians
- Communicates with other road traffic personnel, construction workers and emergency response teams via radio to provide and receive updates on traffic conditions
- Completes site checks and monitors traffic behaviour and/or flow to ensure safety is maintained at all times
- Takes instructions from crew leaders, foremen, managers, inspectors, auditors or officials
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a roadworks site on a two-lane road, with a temporary stop-slow system and a crew working beside the traffic. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A busy afternoon runs smoothly and every driver goes through safely
- A driver thanks you with a wave and a smile as they pass
- The crew finishes early because the traffic has been managed so well
Hard days
- Standing in the sun or rain for hours with the same sign in your hand
- A driver who yells or tries to push through
- A long shift, an exhausted mind and traffic that never stops
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 899631, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.