In a fix: TD examiner Wong Ping-tong instructs a group of Traffic officers on vehicle faults

The Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles) Regulations Course ran January 25 to 28, the first to be held 'in-house', giving officers the required knowledge and skills in checking all types of vehicles for their compliance to Construction and Maintenance Regulations.

It allows officers to speedily identify cases for either direct enforcement, or those requiring further assessment by a Transport Department Motor Vehicle Examiner (MVE), whenever the officer suspects a breach.
The course comprised of both theory and practical instruction at the Department's Vehicle Examination Centre in Kowloon Bay, with Senior Superintendent (Traffic) Paul Croft handing out certificates on behalf of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Support), on its completion.

Mr Croft said the course, formerly run at a contracted institute, was less technical and more relevant for officers by instructing participants only in the basics and essentials required, and in layman's terms.

"This course is more appropriate in giving officers what they need to cover day-to-day problems in their duties. It gives them a better idea of what to look for, of what the vehicle problem is and whether to get it properly examined.

"This course is not to make them MVE's but rather it's an extension to what they already know for their daily duties," Mr Croft said.

"When you arrive at an accident scene you need to know how to handle something like a lorry's air-braking system, how to safely shut it down while also ensuring valuable evidence is not lost."

Senior Motor Vehicle Examiner John Bailey, Course Director on attachment to the Force, said the officers are trained to look for effects and defects brought about by illegal modifications and overloading. They can also better detect stolen vehicles.

"It is important for officers to know what to look for so that consequently the time of an MVE is not wasted as they can spend several days a week giving evidence in courts. This is why it is more desirable to have MVE's giving the course as they can point out all the basic yet important points which need to be covered by an officer to assess whether or not a case needs MVE inspection," Mr Bailey said.

Feedback was taken from the 16 Enforcement and Control Station Sergeants and Sergeants on the course, and this will be considered for further courses to be run later in the year.








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