Acting on concerns of Aberconwy residents who regularly face around 5-hour trips to travel between the constituency and Welsh capital, Cardiff, Janet Finch-Saunders MS has been pushing for improved North – South connectivity.
In response to the Member for Aberconwy’s question as to what assessments have been undertaken on the potential economic advantages of a motorway connecting North and South Wales, Lee Waters MS, Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Welsh Government, has stated:
“A motorway connecting north to south Wales does not form part of the National Transport Plan nor would it comply with the stated objectives of Llwybr Newydd to encourage mode shift to more sustainable forms of transport. No assessments have been undertaken”.
Commenting after receiving the reply, Janet said:
“With the ridiculously poor and unreliable quality of rail services connecting Aberconwy to South Wales, and the Welsh Government having abolished the air link, the reality for my constituents and many across rural Wales, is that private cars are the most sustainable and feasible form of transport.
“I have been campaigning for years to see a direct rail service provided from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Manchester Airport, so to help empower people to travel to and from the Conwy Valley by train without the inconvenience of changing at Llandudno Junction, but the Welsh Government just have not listened.
“Countless residents and I drove to the Royal Welsh this week, and we were all reminded yet again of how poor the highways are between North and South Wales, and the journey time is only going to get worse as we will be reduced to driving at 20mph through the countless communities between Conwy and Cardiff!
“If we want an economically stronger and more united Wales it is only reasonable to expect that the Deputy Minister for Climate Change would at least have undertaken assessments of the feasibility of having a straighter road or motorway linking North and South Wales.
“It is to the detriment of the people and economy of Aberconwy and Wales that the Welsh Government have no plan for a motorway connecting North and South”.
ENDS
Wedi i drigolion Aberconwy fynegi pryderon yn sgil wynebu teithiau rheolaidd o oddeutu 5 awr rhwng yr etholaeth a’r brifddinas, Caerdydd, mae Janet Finch-Saunders AS wedi bod yn pwyso am well cysylltedd rhwng y gogledd a’r de.
Mewn ymateb i gwestiwn yr Aelod dros Aberconwy ynglŷn â pha asesiadau sydd wedi eu cynnal ynghylch manteision economaidd posibl traffordd sy’n cysylltu’r gogledd a’r de, dywedodd Lee Waters AS, Dirprwy Weinidog Newid Hinsawdd Llywodraeth Cymru:
“Nid yw traffordd sy’n cysylltu gogledd â de Cymru yn rhan o’r Cynllun Trafnidiaeth Cenedlaethol, ac ni fyddai ychwaith yn cydymffurfio ag amcanion datganedig Llwybr Newydd i annog pobl i symud at fathau mwy cynaliadwy o drafnidiaeth. Nid oes unrhyw asesiadau wedi eu cynnal”.
Wrth ymateb, dywedodd Janet:
“Gydag ansawdd tu hwnt o wael ac annibynadwy y gwasanaethau rheilffordd sy’n cysylltu Aberconwy â’r de, a Llywodraeth Cymru wedi diddymu’r cyswllt awyr, y realiti i’m hetholwyr i a nifer o drigolion y Gymru wledig yw mai ceir preifat yw’r math o drafnidiaeth mwyaf cynaliadwy ac ymarferol.
“Rydw i wedi bod yn ymgyrchu ers blynyddoedd i weld gwasanaeth trên uniongyrchol rhwng Blaenau Ffestiniog a Maes Awyr Manceinion, er mwyn rhoi’r gallu i bobl deithio o Ddyffryn Conwy ac yn ôl ar y trên heb yr anghyfleustra o orfod newid yng Nghyffordd Llandudno, ond dydy Llywodraeth Cymru ddim wedi gwrando.
“Fel nifer dirifedi o drigolion yr ardal, gyrrais i’r Sioe Frenhinol yr wythnos hon, gyda phob un ohonom yn cael ein hatgoffa eto fyth o ba mor wael yw’r priffyrdd rhwng y gogledd a’r de. Dim ond gwaethygu fydd yr amser teithio wrth i ni orfod gyrru 20mya drwy’r cymunedau di-ri rhwng Conwy a Chaerdydd!
“Os ydym eisiau Cymru sy’n gryfach yn economaidd ac yn fwy unedig, mae’n hollol resymol i ddisgwyl y byddai’r Dirprwy Weinidog Newid Hinsawdd o leiaf wedi cynnal asesiadau o ddichonoldeb cael ffordd sythach neu draffordd sy’n cysylltu gogledd Cymru â’r de.
“Mae diffyg cynllun Llywodraeth Cymru am draffordd rhwng y gogledd a’r de yn cael effaith andwyol ar bobl ac economi Aberconwy a Chymru”.
DIWEDD
