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The
Transport Department became the Ministry of Transport in 1968. Road traffic enforcement was overseen by the 'Road Transport Division' of the Ministry. In 1988, this division was renamed the 'Land Transport Division' and included the newly named 'Traffic Safety Service' ('TSS'). There followed a
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The first traffic officer was employed by the
Auckland City Traffic Department in 1894 to police horse-drawn traffic. In the early part of the twentieth century, a Main Highways Board was established, which was responsible for all aspects of roading in New Zealand. The Board directly employed a few
237:
A 'Traffic
Officer' in New Zealand was a type of law enforcement officer having circumscribed powers under road traffic-related legislation, mainly the Transport Act 1962 (repealed in 2011) and its subsidiary Traffic Regulations to stop, detain and in certain cases arrest individuals. These powers
225:
Over a period of decades, central government gradually took over the national enforcement of traffic laws by amalgamating local body traffic departments into one organisation under the
Ministry of Transport. The Traffic Safety Service was the final culmination of this process. By the early 1990s it
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On 1 July 1992 the
Traffic Safety Service was merged into the New Zealand Police and from that time road traffic enforcement in New Zealand became the total responsibility of the Police. Traffic Officers were gradually trained for other policing duties, with the majority eventually becoming sworn
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By the early 1990s the TSS had completed this consolidation, so that all road traffic enforcement in New
Zealand was primarily carried out by the traffic officers of the TSS. During this time New Zealand Police constables legally had almost all the same powers as traffic officers and in certain
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In 1929 the government, seeking to better coordinate national transport activities, established the
Transport Department. The department took over motor vehicle registration and former 'traffic inspectors' became 'traffic officers', tasked with enforcement of traffic laws on national roads.
238:
of arrest were initially limited to offences involving driving and alcohol but over time extended to cover related offences such as assault or failing to stop when signalled. Traffic officers did not take an oath and consequently did not have the broad powers of arrest of a
246:
issued by the
Minister of Transport, which gave them jurisdiction on any road in New Zealand. The traffic officers employed by local bodies were appointed under the legislation that granted the local body its statutory powers and so did not have national jurisdiction.
217:
From the late 1920s until 1992, traffic law enforcement in New
Zealand was not normally carried out by the New Zealand Police. Instead, it was carried out by a combination of a central government agency and various territorial local bodies, each appointing their own
301:
also employed their own traffic officers. The latter was disestablished in 1983 and its 'Bridge
Control Officers' continued to work under the supervision of the Ministry of Transport, dedicated to ensuring free flow of traffic over the Bridge.
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across New Zealand, the former Tamaki City and Ellerslie and Mount Albert boroughs were subsumed into an enlarged Auckland City and their traffic officers, along with those of Auckland City all became employees of the Ministry of Transport.
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In a few urban areas, traffic policing remained the responsibility of local bodies for many years. The principal local body uniformed traffic departments (as opposed to local body parking wardens, which were more common) were in
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In 1992 the Traffic Safety Service was itself absorbed into the New Zealand Police, which now has responsibility for road traffic enforcement across New Zealand.
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full-time 'Traffic Inspectors' enforcing road rules, as well as subsidizing local authorities that appointed Traffic Inspectors in the respective regions.
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police officers and going on to serve in a variety of roles. A few elected to remain as non-sworn traffic officers but still employed by the Police.
222:. Government traffic officers had jurisdiction on all roads but in practice tended to patrol only areas not covered by local body traffic officers.
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482:"Auckland Harbour Bridge Authority Dissolution Act 1983 No 153 (as at 03 June 2017), Public Act Contents – New Zealand Legislation"
210:. It was a uniformed law enforcement agency responsible for enforcing road transport law in New Zealand. It was separate from the
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McLintock, Alexander Hare; Norman Frederick Watkins, M. COM; Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu.
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All Traffic Officers, whether employed by the Ministry of Transport or by local authority, were eligible for the award of a
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period during which remaining local body traffic enforcement was taken over by the Traffic Safety Service.
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became the sole national traffic law enforcement agency, still separate from the New Zealand Police.
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circumstances enforced traffic laws, particularly but not exclusively in remote rural locations.
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365:"Transport Act 1962 No 135 (as at 10 May 2011), Public Act Contents – New Zealand Legislation"
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242:. Traffic officers employed by the Traffic Safety Service were officially appointed by a
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424:"Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives of New Zealand"
464:"About Internal Affairs – Department structure – Timeline – dia.govt.nz"
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Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu.
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An encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, 1966
500:"Respected Road Policing Personality Retires | Scoop News"
387:"3. – Road accidents – Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand"
518:"History of the Ministry | Ministry of Transport"
406:"Government organisation | NZ Transport Agency"
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536:"When traffic cops used to rule New Zealand roads"
570:National law enforcement agencies of New Zealand
264:Local body traffic enforcement in New Zealand
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162:(as of 30 June 1992), Minister of Transport
52:1968 (as part of the Ministry of Transport)
329:1990–1991 Mitsubishi V3000 Executive sedan
251:History of Traffic Officers in New Zealand
295:Auckland International Airport Authority
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580:1992 disestablishments in New Zealand
342:Merger with New Zealand Police (1992)
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208:Ministry of Transport of New Zealand
575:1962 establishments in New Zealand
560:Government agencies of New Zealand
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321:Ministry of Transport (1968–1992)
299:Auckland Harbour Bridge Authority
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240:Police Constable in New Zealand
233:Traffic Officers in New Zealand
293:boroughs in greater Auckland.
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181:Chief Traffic Superintendent
446:"Departmental Organisation"
317:after 14 years of service.
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148:8,459 (as of 30 June 1992)
68:8,459 (as of 30 June 1992)
431:paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
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565:Transport in New Zealand
206:) was a division of the
73:Jurisdictional structure
486:www.legislation.govt.nz
369:www.legislation.govt.nz
307:local body amalgamation
90:Operations jurisdiction
404:Agency, NZ Transport.
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194:Traffic Safety Service
104:New Zealand Government
24:Traffic Safety Service
18:Law enforcement agency
522:www.transport.govt.nz
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315:Traffic Service Medal
126:Operational structure
117:Local civilian police
183:(as of 30 June 1992)
153:Minister responsible
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212:New Zealand Police
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131:Headquarters
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283:Tamaki City
275:Napier City
177:Phil Wright
139:New Zealand
94:New Zealand
84:New Zealand
554:Categories
351:References
160:Rob Storey
135:Wellington
287:Ellerslie
65:Employees
57:Dissolved
297:and the
244:warrant
285:; and
49:Formed
427:(PDF)
198:Māori
28:Māori
289:and
192:The
60:1992
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