MAIDSTONE is set to have its own "jam-busting" patrol cars under radical plans by transport chiefs to prevent the County Town grinding to a halt.

Just weeks after unveiling plans for a "traffic superbrain" - a sophisticated data tracking system - to tackle congestion in and around the town, county councillors have set out further measures aimed at helping ease the frustration of commuters caught up in rush-hour delays.

Kent County Council is to deploy its own mobile "congestion-busting" teams, who will be on regular duty at key town centre locations during peak traffic periods from September.

In addition, the council intends to have a break-down recovery lorry on permanent stand-by in the town centre to help clear broken down cars from busy roads.

The moves are part of a concerted effort by KCC to meet its target of cutting journey times by ten per cent between now and 2010.

Cllr Keith Ferrin (Con), KCC’s cabinet member for transport, denied the teams would be hampered because they lacked the powers that police patrol cars had.

"There will be four teams at work and the fact that they are dedicated to dealing just with traffic problems means they will be able to deal with them when the police are diverted to other duties."

Part of their role would be to help clear roads into the town being blocked by broken down cars or accidents, he said.

"They will operate in much the same way as Highways Agency vehicles on the motorway," he said.

Asked if KCC’s wide-ranging package of measures would be enough to avert predictions from some Maidstone councillors that the town would become gridlocked by 2011, he said: "Our intention is to ensure that 2011 will never come in Maidstone."

County council leader Cllr Paul Carter said: "I have great hopes of the impact the initiatives we have planned could have on keeping Kent moving."

If successful, KCC is expected to extend the initiative to other parts of the county over the next four years.

Click here to read Kent County Council's vision for 2010 in full, in PDF format