Campaigners from Insulate Britain were back on the M4 at Newport on Wednesday morning, the final day in their unremarkable 3-week protest.
The campaign has seen old duffers lying across the M4 at already stationary traffic in the last few weeks.
Calling the campaign off, Insulate Britain’s Welsh Coordinator Ewan Hughes-Army said:
“This campaign has proved utterly pointless – our initial aim was to get the traffic to a snail’s pace – but inadvertently in the course of our direct action we’ve actually sped up traffic between Newport and Cardiff. It seems the tactics of lying in the road has stopped people cutting in at the busy junctions, especially at Caerleon, and perversely led to both faster traffic and a reduction in delays called by minor accidents and bumps.”
To date the 20 or so protestors have failed to have any direct negative effect on travel time between Newport and Cardiff, with some seasoned commuters confirming journey times have improved. Local haulage contractor Ivor Evyload said:
“In one three-week period, these protestors have done what Welsh Government have failed to do in 20 years of trying – personally I’d like to see them staying as their direct action was having tangible benefits with regards travel times.”
Another commuter, who didn’t want to be named (Ed, it was Graham Edwards from Maccies Ponty but remove that before printing) said:
“They’re great – I’ve been on my way home, stopped for a selfie with them, and still been home for Pointless. Normally I’d be getting my slippers on just as The One Show starts.”
Welsh government declined our request for interview stating ‘everyone’s working from home’.
