TDG’s Rachel Budrys wins Traffic Controller of the Year Award

Traffic Diversions Group can now lay claim to being the workplace of Victoria’s best Traffic Controller after TDG’s Rachel Budrys was announced as the winner of the Victorian division of the Traffic Controller of the Year Award recently.

Rachel took out the prestigious industry award, which was presented by peak body theTraffic Management Association of Australia (TMAA), from a field of seven state finalists.

The 21-year-old has only been working on the roads with the stop/slow bat as a Traffic Controller for TDG for two years but her consistently outstanding performance and a remarkable act of kindness helped her clinch the coveted title.

Rachel has worked on a wide range of major infrastructure projects including the NorthEast Link, but it was her performance while acting as a traffic controller at the drive-through COVID19 testing site in Malvern East that set her apart from the other award finalists.

An elderly man in his eighties arrived at the site on foot, not realising that he would need to be in a vehicle in order to be tested. The man, who was clearly exhausted, became distressed upon hearing that he wouldn’t be able to get tested if he wasn’t in a car but Rachel and her TDG team quickly came to his rescue. They organised an Uber to collect the man, drive him through the site for triage and testing, and then drop him home to his front door afterwards. Rachel used her personal Uber account to help the man, even tipping the Uber driver an extra $5 to ensure he waited for the man.

Rachel was lauded for her efforts by the Department of Health and Human Services staff at the testing site but she remains exceptionally modest about both her award win and her kind deed.

“I really didn’t think I’d win the award as I was up against some really great traffic controllers from other companies and I couldn’t believe it when they read out my name,” Rachel said. “Helping that gentleman was just the right thing to do and I didn’t think twice about it. I am sure plenty of other people would have done the same thing.”

TDG’s Operation Manager, Mr Zeen Booth, nominated Rachel for the award and said she was a very worthy winner.

“Rachel was nominated for the award because she exemplified the best traits of a traffic controller while working for TDG and she has consistently gone far above and beyond in the performance of her duties,” he said.

Winning the state award now sees Rachel advance as a finalist for the National Traffic Controller of the Year Award, which will be announced at the TMAA’s national Awards.