TRADERS and residents in Usk have again criticised Monmouthshire County Council’s (MCC) implementation of social distancing measures in the town, which were changed twice in lockdown.

A one-way traffic system proposal to allow for wider pavements – which replaced a traffic light system on Bridge Street – was scrapped after uproar from townspeople.

And on July 28 it was decided that a reviewed temporary traffic light system was the best way forward, although this remains a trial and has been greeted with more anger.

Traders and residents have said the current restrictions mean traffic lights either side of Bridge Street are causing tailbacks, leading to congestion, “rat running” through the smaller streets, as well as pollution.

The restrictions also include traffic cones blocking parking spaces outside Usk Fish and Chip Shop on Castle Parade and the full length of Monmouth Road, a 20mph speed limit, and better enforcement on a limit on heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) of 7.5t.

The 7.5t HGV restriction in the town has been in place for decades, although people in the area have said it is consistently ignored by lorry drivers and is difficult to enforce.

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MCC has said the system will be given more time to see if it can “work satisfactorily” over “the coming weeks”.

Steve Frost, who took over the running of Usk Fish and Chip Shop in February, said his sales have been 30 per cent down in recent weeks.

“It’s hard going and is getting worse,” he said. “My parking spaces have gone, and the queues are regularly well up Monmouth Road.

“Customers are telling me they’ve driven around Usk for 20 minutes before getting to the shops.

“I’m very worried. I would like to see a one-way pedestrian system either side of Bridge Street, and leave the roads open.”

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With so many cars being diverted through smaller streets in the town unable to cope with large volumes of traffic, videos circulating on social media showing large vehicles meeting on a bend at Maryport Street junction and causing huge tailbacks are becoming commonplace.

Photos taken on Tuesday showed the impact of vehicles jumping the lights at Bridge Street, with cars having to mount the kerb.

Former mayor Tony Kear said: “I walked up Bridge Street recently to see elderly people queueing outside the pharmacy being subjected to air pollution from stationary traffic.

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“This isn’t encouraging people to shop in Usk. MCC should be talking to traders and making a special case to the Welsh Government that these guidelines do not work in Usk.”

Alistair Morgan, who lives on Castle Parade, has called for a return to the one-way system, and said he is concerned about the impact of air pollution on the town.

“The most environmentally sound option is a one-way system. We must remember this is only temporary,” he said.

An MCC spokeswoman said: “Adjustments will be made to in order to find the optimum sequencing to minimise queueing. Bridge Street has pavements in many places of 1.2m and pedestrians passing one another and maintaining social distancing is impossible without stepping into a busy road. Measures are necessary to protect vulnerable pedestrians.

“Warning signs of the Usk weight restrictions (7.5t for HGVs to avoid congestion) have gone up on approaches to the town and council officers will be carrying out spot checks on vehicles over the coming weeks.”