Colourful ‘hot air balloons’ should have been the talking point of a weekend West Wales festival, however those stuck in their vehicles for over two hours turning the air blue with frustration was the talk on social media, as traffic congestion for those heading to the event caused the locality to be gridlocked for several hours on Saturday.
As well as enjoying all the hot air balloons, the ‘Wales Balloon Festival’ which was held at Carmarthen showground from Friday, June 28, and over Saturday and Sunday, invited festival-goers to meet the pilots, and experience Night Glow demonstrations, along with enjoying live music from tribute acts, monster trucks and stunt shows, a family funfair and much more for what was billed as an ‘unforgettable weekend for the whole family’.
The weekend received mixed reviews however, mostly criticising the organisation of the event, parking problems on site, and the length of time it took those attending to get to the venue and in through the gates.
On Saturday afternoon, Dyfed-Powys Police were even prompted to put a post out on social media, asking members of the public not to phone police call-handlers to complain about the congestion on the roads in and around Carmarthen.
“Please be aware that there are currently significant delays across Carmarthen due to an event taking place at Nantyci Showground. We understand the frustration and inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience during this time,” stated Dyfed-Powys Police on their Facebook page and social media accounts.
“Our control room are experiencing numerous calls about the traffic in the area, which is causing huge demand and delays for incidents that are ongoing.
“For any concerns or further information, please reach out to the council or the event organisers.
“We advise planning your journeys accordingly, considering alternative routes to avoid congestion and avoiding any unnecessary travel through Carmarthen. Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
Hundreds of people took to social media whilst stuck in their vehicles heading to the event, to vent their frustration.
“We’ve been waiting an hour in traffic and still got hour and half to go! Literally 6 minutes away from the actual event, boiling hot in the car, missed all the shows now due to traffic shambles!” wrote one...“Never seen gridlock like it! People parked cars and walking along dual carriage way with pushchairs! Very unsafe,” another person remarked.
“Been sat on the A40 east of the town along with hundreds of other vehicles for over an hour and have moved just over a mile! What a joke,” one person shared on Facebook.
Others were critical of Carmarthenshire County Council and Dyfed-Powys Police in not pre-planning traffic management for a large event that the authorities would have known about months in advance.
The traffic congestion also raised questions over the suitability of building a new general hospital in the vicinity.
