For anyone who lives in Pant, the often busy A483 which runs through the village cannot be overlooked. Whether trying to cross the road on foot, turning onto it in your car or just the noise and speed, it is something that can’t be avoided and everyone has their own story to tell about their frustrations with the road.
Recent improvements such as a traffic light controlled pedestrian crossing, and flashing 30 mile an hour signs have certainly helped to raise the issue of the, but should more be done?
Many people think a bypass is the best solution (although there are pros and cons for this), and the Welsh Government recently commissioned a new feasibility study, as previously reported on pant.today. However, for those of us who regularly walk along the footpaths by the side of the A483 in Pant, one of the best things would be if traffic actually stuck to the 30 mile an hour limit.
People who live near the speed limit signs in Pant joke about how frequently they flash at motorists, as a significant proportion of vehicles do not slow down. Recently, we even saw an articulated lorry hurtling through the village with the driver on his mobile phone. The lorry was going so fast the backdraft took your breath away!
Nationally, road safety charity, Brake, is campaigning for a 20 mph speed limit in all villages as a way of making them safer, healthier and more sociable places.
A 20 mph limit might be a good idea for the A483 in Pant, as it might lessen calls for the bypass – certainly a much cheaper option – but before lowering the speed limit to 20 mph, surely more should be done to enforce the existing speed limit.
What do you think? Would speed cameras help? Should there be additional traffic calming measures, such as chicanes or road narrowing? Let us know and maybe we can all urge the authorities to look at how to slow the traffic through our village.
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