Parking wardens may get more powers

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling said police time would be freed up by switching powers to local councils.

Setting out the Traffic Management Bill, Mr Darling also said new teams of officers would be given powers to get traffic moving after motorway crashes.

The legislation would also make utility companies get licences for roadworks.

A Conservative attempt to scupper the bill at its second reading was defeated by 362 votes to 126 - a government majority of 236.

'Half-baked'

The Tories warned the move to give greater power to traffic wardens could fuel further resentment from motorists already angry about the proliferation of traffic cameras.

Shadow transport spokesman Damian Green told MPs cameras were needed in some places for road safety.

But more and more people now believed cameras were not for improving safety and tackling congestion "but are simply there to take larger amounts of money out of the pockets of motorists and put into the pockets of the chancellor".

"The problem is that this bill, by its increasing reliance on cameras for a new range of offences, will reinforce that cynicism," he said.

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He said people would feel that if a police officer was enforcing the regulations an element of common sense could be applied.

But Mr Darling accused the Conservatives of "humbug", saying the idea was being advocated by Tory mayoral candidate Steve Norris.

He said: "Surely it makes sense that when the police have so many other pressures ... things like keeping bus lanes clear or trying to dissuade people from going through a yellow light, parking in the middle of a box junction, stopping traffic from moving could be left to people from a local authority?"

Offences are not expected to incur penalty points on driving licences, in what is being seen as a concession to motorists, who will be posted fines of up to �60 - the current rate.

Kevin Delaney, from motoring group the RAC Foundation, told BBC News 24 that councils should get the fines powers as traffic was a low priority for the police.

But he urged safeguards to prevent "over-zealous" use of the powers.

Motorway officers

Another planned measure is the creation of uniformed traffic officers to patrol motorways to get traffic moving after road incidents or breakdowns.

The officers will be introduced on the M42 in the West Midlands later this year, said Mr Darling.

The police would continue to investigate the causes of crashes, but the new uniformed service would speed up traffic flow, he said.

"What we are concerned about though is to make sure that once the police have completed their duty as quickly as possible, any vehicles involved are removed and the traffic is flowing as soon as possible," Mr Darling told MPs.

He dismissed fears that the move would stop police from collecting vital evidence at crash scenes.

Traffic managers

Utility companies which miss deadlines for completing road works would also be penalised under the new legislation.

They would have to get permits for doing the works, which would include restrictions on when the work could be done or how many lanes could be affected at any one time.

Mr Darling said: "Our intention is not to prevent this work being carried out; far from it.

"Our intention is to make sure it is done more efficiently and is better co-ordinated than at the present time."

Traffic police would be replaced by "civil enforcement officers"

The new measures would also set up traffic managers at local councils in England and Wales, focusing on getting traffic moving.

Mr Darling stressed the need to maintain public support for road measures, meaning enforcers should not "overstep the mark" in safety and congestion measures.

Before the debate, Liberal Democrat transport spokesman John Thurso praised the objectives of the bill.

But he said: "The creation of traffic directors to supervise traffic managers is both unnecessary bureaucracy and an expression of the government's mistrust in the ability of local government."