Having launched their road safety campaign in July 2021, the residents of Rhyd y Sarn, Ffestiniog, say they continue to live in fear as there have been seven crashes in the village since last summer.
On Friday, 14 October, a vehicle lost control on the now notorious bend on the A496, and smashed into the roadside wall, sending masonry tumbling into the river. Fortunately, the driver escaped serious injury, but had the car gone through the wall, residents say it would have plunged into the river below.
The police and Gwynedd Council attended the scene to moved the badly damaged vehicle into the layby and to assess the damage caused by the crash.
Co-ordinator of the residents’ campaign, Peter Jones, said that: “This will be the fourth time Gwynedd Council has had to repair these walls in the last two years, and crash barriers could alleviate this waste of council taxpayers’ money on repairing masonry.”
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Mr Jones said Gwynedd Council’s traffic and project manager, Iwan ap Trefor, and Cllr Robert Glyn Daniels, joined residents for a site meeting in May.
“This provided us with an opportunity to discuss the crisis, particularly the urgent need for a speed reduction through our village, together with warning signs that pedestrians are walking in this 60mph road, which has neither pavements nor suitable verges,” said Mr Jones.
“Vehicles pass within inches of people, posing an intolerable risk.
“It is just a matter of time before someone is killed. Failure to act is nothing short of negligence.”
On Wednesday, 19 October, another vehicle crashed into the wall.
Mr Jones added: “Gwynedd Council must not ignore the urgency of this situation. Apart from the need to reduce the 60mph limit to at least 30mph through our community, the council needs to install crash barriers, if only to limit major damage to infrastructure, which needs to be repaired after these all too frequent incidents.”
According to Mr Jones Gwynedd Council commissioned consultants two years ago to audit road safety measures in the area, but did not consult residents to get an accurate idea of what was happening in the village.
“The consultants recorded five accidents on the A496 for a four mile stretch between the villages of
Tanygrisiau and Rhyd Y Sarn, their source being police records,” said Mr Jones.
“As we know, the police are not necessarily called to all accidents, especially where drivers simply exchange insurance details and vehicles are towed away. Had these consultants bothered to consult residents of Rhyd Y Sarn, their report would have been more comprehensive.
“There have now been seven crashes in the village itself since summer 2021, all within a few metres of each other. It’s a local crisis that needs solving urgently.”
Gwynedd Council said they are “now in the process of erecting chevron signs on the approach to the hamlet from Blaenau Ffestiniog, which we hope will have a significant impact on the way motorists negotiate this section of road”.
“The speed limit through Rhyd y Sarn is also being discussed and a review is scheduled to be held during 2023.
However, it should be noted that the process for setting speed limits can take some time to complete due the legal processes that the Council is required to complete before introducing changes.
“We hope the steps being taken will help to improve road safety on this section of road and appreciate the desire locally for improvements to be introduced as soon as possible.”
North Wales Police have also been asked to comment.