St Davids one-way system 'shambolic and chaotic'

Susan Preece said that the implementation of the system has been 'shambolic' with holiday makers stopping residents and asking how to get out of the city having failed to do so on multiple attempts.

"Visitors are stopping locals and asking how to get out of St Davids, having gone round and round in circles because of incorrect and inadequate signage causing traffic chaos," she said.

"Residents are again moving bollards to allow access to homes and businesses."

Mrs Preece said that the signage that has been put in place for the temporary system is misleading.

She said that there are signs when you enter St Davids along the A487 from Haverfordwest there is a sign telling you that Haverfordwest is ahead of you.

She said that coming down Glasfryn Road (from Whitesands and Fishguard Road) to the big roundabout the diversion is incorrectly signed sending traffic left to city centre and Whitesands.

"Drivers have just come from the Whitesands direction, and the city centre is to the right," said Mrs Preece.

She added that there were problems with traffic coming to and from Caerfai, with a sign desperately needed to direct traffic coming from Caerfai to the High Street and the diversion from Caerfai down Bryn Road petering out at the T junction onto Goat Street with a 'Diversion Ends' sign and no indication of where to go next.

She says that temporary two-way signs have been placed at the entrance to the one-way system misleading drivers and that more directional signs are needed.

"I drew problems about the one-way signage to the Highways Department last year, but nothing was done to improve it then," she said.

"This year the signage is even worse. I have no confidence in Pembrokeshire County Council's statement that 'the scheme will be monitored closely' when they have not even identified that their signage is directing visitors the wrong way.

"It's ironic that the one-way system should have been introduced in the same week that covid restrictions have been lifted and more than halfway through the summer season – what a waste of money."

A Pembrokeshire County Council spokesperson said:"

"The Council installed a temporary arrangement last year as a means to respond to COVID related unlocking issues; trying to establish greater road space to enable social distancing.

"A more permanent system has been prepared following last year’s scheme, and has been discussed with the City Council and other stakeholders, but due to a shortage of materials, this has not been able to be implemented in time for the summer.

"As a result, the temporary scheme has been re-introduced following discussion with the City Council. While there had been some observations on last year’s scheme, on the whole it had been positively received and considered that it does add value overall.

"We are aware of some specific localised issues relating to this year’s scheme, and adjustments have already been made. Further examination of the temporary scheme is being made this week, and where practicable and necessary, additional changes will be made.

"Longer term, the aspiration remains to introduce the planned permanent scheme."