A driver was forced to abandon his car overnight in a Leeds car park after getting stuck in a three-hour queue to get out.
Furious drivers have become frustrated with congestion in the city centre with some fearing this is going to drive people away from Leeds. And now, irate motorists have complained on social media after being stuck in Trinity Centre’s car park for over two hours.
Mark Casci, who shared his experience on Twitter, was forced to dump his car in the car park for the night after moving “three car lengths” in three hours at the weekend.
Read more: Furious drivers stuck for more than an hour trying to get out of Leeds car park
The former journalist tweeted at 7.48pm: Have been in the Trinity Leeds car park since 6.20pm. I’ve moved about three car lengths. Have had to send my family home in a taxi. Motorists making their frustrations heard. Might have to move in here.”
He added at 8.34pm: “Update: have dumped car for the night and am just getting on a train home. My family and I left the restaurant we’d been to at 6pm. I could have got down to London in the time it’s going to have taken me to get five miles back to my home. Still @Bundobust was brilliant as ever.”
There are a number of roadworks in the city centre in preparation for City Square’s permanent closure to traffic in February 2023.
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Through traffic is being diverted away from the area and traffic travelling north into the city is in place along Neville Street, Bishopgate Street and Swinegate.
The Leeds dad is not the only one who has shared their frustrations about gridlock traffic in the centre.
A man told Leeds Live that the traffic is going to drive people away from the city centre as a result of the road closures.
Leeds City Council are continuing to encourage people to plan their journey’s or use alternative means of transport on weekends and in the run up to Christmas.
Another person said: “We drove through part of Leeds on Saturday and it was absolutely rammed with traffic.”
Velodrome100 said: “#leeds City Square is an utter mess. Traffic gridlock all around. Dangerous for pedestrians with no proper crossings, narrow pavements and cars/buses coming from all angles. Saw two near misses today. People will get hurt. Way worse than it was before.”
Another added: “Leeds city centre is coming to a standstill with all the traffic chaos and stupid ideas closing roads etc. It’s going to drive people away from wanting to come into the great city of Leeds.”
‘We continue to encourage motorists to plan ahead, either by using alternative means of travel’
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “With works across the city centre, we continue to encourage motorists to plan ahead, either by using alternative means of travel or using alternative routes, particularly on busy weekends and in the run up to Christmas. We are grateful to those who are already doing so.
“Motorists who need to travel around the city centre by car are encouraged to consider a number of diversionary routes which can be found at www.leeds.gov.uk/planahead.
“Alternatively, where possible we would encourage people to travel by bus or rail, cycle or walk into the city. The Park and Ride schemes at Stourton, Elland Road and Temple Green offer a comparatively quiet and cost effective route into the city. Plan your Park and Ride journey here https://www.wymetro.com/park-and-ride ”
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