POLICE have taken to the road for the first time as part of the new A12 Alliance Patrol.

The team of 18 officers was unveiled yesterday, as the first stage in a series of proposals to clear congestion on the A12.

Split into three shifts, made up of one sergeant and five officers, the team will patrol the road for 18 hours a day in a bid to keep the traffic moving.

The A12 patrols were one of the recommendations of Essex County Council’s A12 Inquiry, which called for funding to create a “blue light” service to deal with congestion on the route.

It was the first public inquiry into a major road held by a local authority, and led to the creation of the A12 Alliance.

The new patrols are being funded by an initial grant of £1.5million, from Essex County Council.

It is believed to be the first scheme in the country where a local authority has paid for a police road patrol.

Derek Benson, Assistant Chief Constable of Essex Police, said: “The A12 patrols will operate 365 days a year, seven days a week from 6am until midnight, ensuring that the road is as clear and safe as possible.

“The officers operating the unit will focus on clearing incidents, but will also work to prevent them by continuing everyday police activities, clamping down on driving offences, such as speeding, driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and driving while using a mobile telephone.

“Essex Police is the first force in the country to operate such a patrol scheme on a main road.

“Essex Police has worked hard, with other agencies, to ensure this initiative was delivered at the earliest opportunity and I now look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have.”

The patrols are designed to not only keep the county moving, but also to ensure there are always officers on hand to clear up swiftly after crashes.

Norman Hume, chairman of the A12 Alliance and county councillor responsible for highways and transportation, said: “While accidents and incidents certainly won’t become a thing of the past, we are hopeful they will be cleared much more quickly, enabling our residents to keep moving.

“I’d like to thank the police for their assistance in operating the patrols and the Highways Agency for their positive input towards their deployment.”

Mr Hume said it was the first in a string of measures which the county council hopes will improve the A12.

He added: “On September 18, we are holding a workshop for members of the alliance to discuss a number of improvements.

“We will discuss how to spend £120million to improve traffic flow and congestion.

“Clearly, the Highways Agency is leading it and presenting a number of options. These include a limited amount of road widening where it is sub-standard in width and improvements at key junctions where there are a number of accidents.”

Lord Hanningfield, leader of Essex County Council, said: “These patrols are a direct result of our A12 Inquiry last year which brought agencies, national and local, together to find solutions to the problem of congestion on the A12.

“Our residents tell us they are fed up with delays on the route and congestion on the A12 and they are holding our economy back from meeting its potential.”