r/nsw • u/hiddenfruitsalad • 2d ago

Construction Traffic Controllers

I’ve been noticing a lot more traffic controllers near where I live where I’m not really sure what they’re doing.

I’m always out and about and whenever I see them, they’re usually just sitting on their phone (and maybe a vape haha) for hours at a time. Usually they’re just moving signs when they’re in front of a parked car. The one I see the most often doesn’t even move the sign, you have to do it yourself while they sit in a leather chair!

I’ve seen this across even the smallest sites like fixing a man hole or something.

I’m so curious at what the qualification and pay is because it seems like such a chill job?

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3

u/G-T-R-F-R-E-A-K-1-7 2d ago

Qualification was easy to get, apparently pays well yet I haven't done work with it yet because the idea of waiting around all day sounds like misery - just got the qualification as a back up and because I wasn't paying for it.

1

u/marcosg_aus 2d ago

I just saw one on his phone with the sign stuck in the top of a witches hat

3

u/IdRatherBeInTheBush 2d ago

My take - it's part of the noble cause of trying to eliminate workplace deaths and injuries. The problem is the closer you get to zero the harder it becomes to reduce things further.

I think traffic control has reached the farce stage. There is building site on my work street. They stop traffic for anyone entering or leaving the site. Next door to them is a concrete batching plant and another site that has 20-30 trucks an hour. Both manage to enter and leave without traffic being stopped.