Nick Ramsay, Assembly Member for Monmouth, has said he is disappointed by the Welsh Government’s ‘wait and see’ approach to the issue of traffic congestion and air pollution in Chepstow.

Responding to several written questions tabled by Nick Ramsay, Ken Skates, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport, confirmed that the Welsh Government is trying to predict the impact on traffic of the removal of the Severn Bridge tolls, but the impact on traffic flow can’t be understood until the tolls have been removed.

Mr Ramsay has recently offered to be a ‘bridge’ between the Welsh and UK Governments to progress the bypass scheme.

Mr Ramsay said, “I’m disappointed by the Welsh Government’s response to my questions - this effectively puts any efforts to tackle air pollution and chronic traffic congestion in Chepstow on the back burner until at least 2019.

“Traffic congestion is a severe problem on a daily basis in Chepstow now and once the tolls are removed on the Severn Bridges, this is only going to get worse.

“Delivering a major cross-border piece of infrastructure would be challenging, but preparatory work needs to begin now to meet the needs of a growing town and the wider community.

“As I’ve said previously, I’m more than happy to act as a ‘bridge’ between the two governments if that’s what it takes to get this vital infrastructure project underway.”