Every week day I travel down the M4 (Bristol to Swindon) and I have noticed that for the last week there has been a police traffic car on the motorway. It doesn't seem to matter whether I am travelling anytime between 7 and 10 in the morning and 3 and 6 in the evening. It seems a new shape T5 is always on the motorway somewhere between 16 and 17.

I only find this unusual because I only normally see a traffic car on the M4 about once per month! Seem like my commute will take much longer, Yesterday everyone had slowed right down to 30, just around the car, there was no accident, just stupily slow traffic. Seems a shame because a part from roadworks this bit of motorway runs very well (though much faster than 70!).

Does anyone know any more than me

Jon (worried about the long term prospects of his license)

 

Jon,

I was down in Cardiff on Friday and I noticed a swarm of Police cars around the section of the M4 you are talking about - there were a couple of Omegas, a big 4x4 and 2 Police Bikes - none of whom where together and spaced quite far apart.

One of the Omegas had pulled a driver over in his Range Rover and was having a polite chat with him over something!

For the rest of my 300 mile trip I didn't see a single Police car!

Scott

 

They could have been waiting to "ESCORT PRINCESS ANN" Just in case she wants a day out in swindon....

 

Bad news is they are still there all the time. I drove past one well inexcess of the speed limit yesterday, but he didn't follow, maybe filming or just recording the registration plates (!?). Also today on my way home at about 4:30 there was a greyish fiat scudo(?) van parked in the police layby on the same bit of road, could this be a video van, there were 2 people with yellow jackets around it and a camera I think . All seems odd, because there were no other police on the M4 apart from between J16 - 17, and my collegues who use the M4 all seem to concur. I

 

I travel thru these junctions each day. I'll keep a close eye and report my findings.

 

I think a couple of weeks ago the police announced that they were clamping down on that section of the M4 for some reason. There was, apparently, a zero tolerance policy in force for a while although I don't think it's still ongoing.

My wife goes to Bath everyday from the Swindon area; she's given up on the M4 now and uses the A roads instead - it's taken about 20 mins off her journey I think.

PS. 2 T5s yesterday, J16-15, going other way fortunately...