Madam,

In last week’s Calls for town centre to be pedestrianised, Cllr Ywain Myfyr claims that pedestrianising Eldon Square in Dolgellau and making a separate place for buses would be beneficial for tourism.

However, he has conflated two issues, both of which should be addressed separately.

Buses are currently a problem in the square. They block traffic trying to get through the town, people waiting for buses block the entrances to the shops under the Ty Siamas arches and the exhaust fumes badly affect air quality. However, pedestrianising the town centre and totally banning vehicles would create more problems than it would solve.

At the moment, people can drive right into town and park for free around the edges of Eldon square. This brings both local and tourist trade to the various small shops and cafés in Dolgellau.

Being able to park right by the banks and shops is essential for those with reduced mobility who cannot easily walk from the Marian car park.

The route through Eldon Square also provides a vital link from one side of town to the other. When the square is closed for a special occasion, such as the weekend filming for the BBC/Netflix drama, traffic has to go down the Lawnt, which is obviously not a suitable long-term solution.

I do hope that a good location can be found for a new bus interchange where buses can wait without clogging up Eldon Square, but I do feel that it is essential that normal traffic should continue to be able to drive through the square and use the parking spaces around it.

Yours etc,

Margaret Hall, Maes yr Odyn, Dolgellau.

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