NEWPORT TRAFFIC CHAOS MUST BE URGENTLY ADDRESSED

a media release on 6th February 2007

William Graham will today call upon First Minister Rhodri Morgan to do more to assist people in the Newport area who are suffering because the local transport networks mounting congestion problems[1].

Mr. Graham, Conservative AM for South Wales East, explained,

‘The First Minister must pledge to help publicise that aid is available to small traders who are suffering during the re-construction of the Kingsway and other important roads in the city. Regeneration such as new shops being built on the site of the soon to be demolished Littlewoods store bring new great opportunities to the city but such projects must be sensitive to the interests of existing businesses.’

‘It is furthermore vital that the Labour Welsh Assembly Government does more to alleviate traffic congestion between intersections 24 and 28 of the M4, particularly at the infamous Brynglas tunnel bottleneck. The number of hold-ups and average accident rate is currently being permitted to worsen from year to year.’

‘It would be awful if foreign visitors’ enduring memory of the Ryder Cup was to be exasperating traffic jams. It is of course a matter of profound regret that the Assembly Government has dragged its feet on the M4 relief road and that it will not be in place for the Ryder Cup’.