MPS considers restructuring roads policing unit amid budget pressures

Reports suggest the force is examining proposals to disband the dedicated command and redistribute its responsibilities across other departments as part of wider organisational reforms.

The RTPC is responsible for investigating serious road traffic collisions and enforcing road safety legislation, while also playing a key role in tackling wider criminality, including the movement of drugs, weapons and other illicit goods on London’s road network.

Critics have warned that dismantling the specialist unit could weaken the force’s ability to detect serious and organised crime as well as respond effectively to fatal and serious collisions.

Former senior traffic commissioner Beverley Bell described the reported proposals as “foolhardy in the extreme”, arguing that experienced roads policing officers develop specialist skills that are difficult to replace.

The Alliance of British Drivers also criticised the reported plans, warning that police patrols remain essential despite the increased use of automated enforcement cameras.

Susan Hall, leader of the Conservative group on the London Assembly, said she was “very concerned” by the proposals, claiming the Met was losing specialist capabilities as it struggled with financial pressures.

More than 1,500 traffic officers currently patrol London’s 12,000-mile road network. Last year there were more than 20,000 road collisions in the capital, resulting in 96 fatalities and around 3,900 serious injuries.

Earlier this year the force disbanded its specialist Commercial Vehicle Unit, with some of its functions transferred to a newly created Road Danger Reduction Team as part of a wider change programme.

The new proposals come only months after the Government’s Road Safety Strategy acknowledged that roads policing plays a crucial role not only in reducing casualties but also in disrupting wider criminality, including serious and organised crime. However, while the strategy proposed greater innovation and national coordination, it stopped short of committing to an increase in dedicated roads policing resources.

Responding to the reports, a Met spokesperson did not confirm that the command would be abolished but said the force was reviewing how roads policing could continue to deliver for Londoners.

“We are looking at how the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command (RTPC) can continue to deliver on the priorities that matter most to Londoners,” the spokesperson said.

“While some of the changes are necessary to contribute to the significant financial savings the Met must make, others are motivated by a need for improvements to the service we provide to the public, including victims and their loved ones.

“The specific details of any changes are still being considered and will be communicated to officers, staff and key partners in due course.”