A group of disgruntled residents in a Welsh community have erected a sign warning drivers to ‘adjust their bra straps’ and to ‘secure their nuts’ due to the number of potholes on a rural road which they describe as “the worst in the county”.
Abergorlech Road, between Brechfa and Pontynswen in the north of Carmarthenshire, has long been complained about by those who have to travel along it. According to residents, Carmarthenshire Council has been told of the issues and while it has in the past filled in some potholes, it has not resurfaced the road, something which locals say is desperately needed. You can keep up to date with the latest Carmarthenshire news by signing up to the local newsletter here.
Exhausted at their efforts to get the road improved, a group of residents have now erected a large yellow sign along the bumpy route. The sign reads: “Caution. Remove dentures, adjust bra straps, secure your nuts. Welcome to the worst maintained road in the county - courtesy of Carmarthenshire County Council.”
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While the sign is intended to be funny and light-hearted, the group has stressed there is a serious reason behind placing it next to the road, and that it is vital that residents living nearby have a safe surface for cars and bicycles. A spokesman for the residents said: “We have complained many times about the road and the council has not carried out any meaningful maintenance. They sometimes respond by filling a handful of the worst holes when in reality the road is so worn and damaged that it requires complete resurfacing in many places. Whilst the sign is intended to be funny the constant wear and tear on our vehicles is a real issue.
"This is another example of the discrimination that rural residents face as no urban road would be allowed to degrade to this extent. The council has a legal duty under the provisions of The Highway’s Act to maintain all roads. It is not unreasonable to ask that we have a road that has a safe surface for motor vehicles and bicycles. It is somewhat ironic that the police can check our vehicles to ensure that they are safe for the road but no one is ensuring that the road is safe for our vehicles.”
Carmarthenshire Council was asked to comment on the state of the rural road - which is a couple of miles south of Brechfa - and the local authority has laid the blame for a lack of resurfacing work on limited spending powers, saying that jobs of this nature are prioritised according to risk.
Councillor Edward Thomas, cabinet member for transport, waste and infrastructure at the council, said: “Carmarthenshire Council continue to undertake scheduled highway inspections of all of our roads to ensure that they are safe for road users and this includes the rural road highlighted by local residents in the Llanfynydd area. Where safety defects are identified they are programmed for repair in accordance with our policies which are in keeping with those of other authorities across Wales.
"There is a national shortfall in investment in road maintenance which impacts all local highway authorities. The roads in Carmarthenshire that we would like to resurface far outstrips the budget available to us. As a consequence of a limited budget, our resurfacing programmes are developed using a risk-based approach to target the roads in greatest need of resurfacing and ensure that any investment provides the best possible value."
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