Commissioner raises concerns about M4 options announcement

Police and Crime Commissioner Jane Mudd has raised concerns about the Welsh Government’s announcement that closing three junctions on the M4 is among the options it is considering to tackle congestion.

She said: “Closing these junctions could pose a serious risk to emergency service response times across the whole of Gwent, as vehicles could be forced to take longer routes to emergencies. It could also risk forcing additional traffic onto local roads, bringing congestion into our communities and creating further delays for emergency vehicles.

“While I appreciate that this is one of several proposed options at this stage, these are life and death decisions. It is important that the Welsh Government carries out full and detailed consultation with the emergency services going forward and gives serious consideration of the impact such closures could have on emergency response times in Gwent.”