Highway patrol vehicles 'saturate' Orange and Bathurst as operation TRANCE continues

Part of two operations, TRANCE and Macquarie Blitz, highway patrol cars from Lithgow, Bathurst, Orange, Parkes and Cowra were boosted by five vehicles from Sydney to conduct drug and alcohol testing and enforce speed limits.

Macquarie Sector Traffic Inspector, Chief Inspector Simon Maund said the units were deployed into Bathurst and Orange in a saturation operation focussing on community road safety.

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As well as speeding and traffic infringements, officers conducted 873 random breath tests with eight people arrested and 73 random drug tests, for four arrests.

They also issued six defective vehicle notices, one charge of possessing a prohibited weapon and two for drug possession.

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Chief Inspector Maund said the operation was planned about six months ago.

"But it aligns with moving into spring and people getting out and about again," he said.

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He added police were also launching a Summer Safety campaign targeting anti-social behaviour and alcohol related crime with the operation not restricted to the road network.

"For example we'll be out at Wyangala Dam checking the boat ramps and the car parks,to keep the community safe and make sure people are doing the right thing," he said.

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