Heledd Fychan Canol De Cymru - South Wales Central

Plaid accuse Labour of “headline grabbing sticking plaster solution” over A470 toll idea

The Welsh Government over the summer have been consulting on proposals to charge drivers to use the A470 between Upper Boat and Pontypridd, as part of plans to reduce pollution via a Clean Air Zone. Most residents were made aware by letters being shared on social media by some residents who had received notification, whilst others who would be impacted have received no information and were therefore unable to respond to the consultation.

Responding to the news that the idea of tolls for some drivers on parts of the M4 motorway and A470 has been raised by Welsh government in a bid to tackle air pollution, Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales Central Heledd Fychan said,

“Rather than offering innovative policy ideas that will truly make a difference to a problem that urgently needs tackling, the Labour Government has instead resorted to more headline grabbing sticking plaster “solutions”.

“The climate crisis is real. Air pollution is real. Both require radical action. Placing tolls on one patch of road is not a radical action. All it will do is drive people to avoid the charges by taking an alternative route through communities thereby making congestion and air pollution in our small towns and villages much worse.

“It also punishes the less affluent who are dependent on cars to reach a work shift late at night or early in the morning because the trains and buses aren’t running at that time of day. 

“Active travel is dire under this Labour Government. Those who are dependent on local bus services find themselves unable to reach hospital appointments, collect their children from school or reach their work shift in time. And that’s where the investment needs to happen and to make public transport and active travel suitable, affordable, and accessible."