THE residents of a Meirionnydd village say they are “gripped by traffic fear” and have started a campaign calling on the council to slash the speed limit of the road running through it in half.

Residents in Rhyd y Sarn want the 60mph limit on the A496 to be slashed to 30mph following a spate of accidents.

The road, between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Maentwrog, is too narrow for a pavement or verge to walk along, which means vehicles pass dangerously close to pedestrians, posing a serious risk of injury or even death, residents say.

Peter Jones, 74, who has lived in Rhyd y Sarn for 20 years, said: “The time has come for action because we’ve had enough.

“Over the years there have been occasions when an individual resident has phoned the authorities to express concern about the dangerous situation, only to be told ‘we’ll look in to it’. Do we wait until a pedestrian is killed? We’re just a line on some traffic manager’s map. You have to be here to know just how dangerous it is for us. Why must we live like this?”

He added: “One resident, Bill Brown, is 93, and has to confine his daily exercise to walking back and forth in the layby because he cannot risk crossing the road to the woodland due to vehicles speeding and his not being able to move quickly enough to avoid danger.

“Another resident pointed out, with the advent of quieter electric vehicles, the challenge is worsening, saying ‘it’s good news for the planet but my hearing isn’t what it was, and you can’t see around bends’.”

The campaign has led to the production of a leaflet which has been sent to Gwynedd Council, local and national politicians, police and fire service chiefs, local media and insurance companies because, campaigners say, they have to pay out for the increasing number of claims for vehicles involved and damaged council infrastructure.

On 6 July, just a few days after the wall at the side of the road had been repaired following a crash, it was hit again which “sent masonry tumbling, as the car collided next to the newly completed section,” the campaign literature explains.

“Costs to the NHS in treating injured people, use of police officers’ valuable time, as well as firefighters, plus soaring motor insurance claims; it all adds up to tens of thousands of pounds each year,” the literature adds.

“A 30mph limit on the ill-fated A496 at Rhyd y Sarn may prevent this.”

A Gwynedd Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of the situation along this stretch of the A496 and are sympathetic to the effect it’s having on local residents’ lives.

“In 2017, several measures were introduced in the area to improve road safety due to the number of collisions over the previous years. This included crash barriers, road markings and improved signage.

“Welsh Government funding has now been secured to carry out a review of the road safety measures by experts in the autumn, paying particular attention to concerns at Rhyd y Sarn. We hope that the report and recommendations will be ready by the end of the calendar year.”