(L-R) St Kingsmark ward councillor Christopher Edwards, David Davies MP and resident Phil Tate at Highbeech roundabout in Chepstow.
(L-R) St Kingsmark ward councillor Christopher Edwards, David Davies MP and resident Phil Tate at Highbeech roundabout in Chepstow. (Laura Dulin)

THE Welsh Labour Government is taking Wales on a road to nowhere by declaring “war on motorists”, an MP has blasted.

David Davies MP branded the decision to scrap all major road building projects in Wales a “massive mistake” and warned Monmouthshire faces gridlock across the county because of poor public transport links and a lack of much needed infrastructure improvement works.

The Monmouth MP said jobs and opportunities had been thrown into question because of Welsh Labour’s short-sighted vision, describing the news as “devastating” for the future possibility of a bypass in Chepstow.

And with hundreds of new houses proposed for Abergavenny, nearly 1,000 in Caldicot and another 145 in Chepstow, Mr Davies said Monmouthshire risked becoming known as the “county of traffic jams”.

“It is absolutely ludicrous to block the construction of any new roads when local authorities are being told to build new houses everywhere,” he said.

“Welsh Labour is seriously lacking direction with its National Transport Plan, which amounts to nothing more than a war on motorists. There is a reluctance to even consider small improvements to the existing road structure.

“Traffic bottlenecks on the A48 at Hardwick Hill and A466 are suffocating Chepstow, while air pollution levels in the town exceed limits set by the World Health Organisation. Yet ministers in Cardiff Bay will not support a bypass for environmental reasons.

“The extra 1,000 houses planned for Caldicot will mean even more traffic on our already congested motorway around Newport. Similarly, 500 new houses in Abergavenny will cause more traffic as many people moving in will be commuting elsewhere.

“Yes, we need houses but we also need roads and decent public transport options so residents can get to and from work without sitting in traffic jams.”

Mr Davies said it was clear to see Welsh Labour’s relationship with transport in Wales had hit a roadblock.

“The official explanation given for the decision to axe all major road building projects was environmental concerns, an often-repeated folly which has serious ramifications and suggests Welsh Labour is more than content to see motorists stuck in daily traffic jams,” he said.

“Congested roads are bad for the environment, bad for the economy and will undermine efforts to achieve the ambitious target of net-zero.

“More accessible and efficient road networks are going to be needed if we are to accommodate the rapidly growing number of renewable energy-powered vehicles. The current levels of congestion that we witness on the M4 around the Brynglas Tunnels and beyond are simply not going to disappear without new infrastructure.

“The UK Government offered help with financing an M4 relief road but after spending an astonishing £157m of taxpayers’ money drawing up plans and buying land to build it, Welsh Labour abandoned the idea and has chosen to stick its head in the sand by ignoring this serious problem.

“It appears Welsh Labour will only be happy when we are travelling by horse and cart.”