We urgently need to reopen Castle Street

What is the plan for the virus?

WHEN the council meets to discuss the future of Castle Street they need to take into account the damage this closure has done to the city centre.

Cardiff currently has the second weakest footfall in the UK. The footfall in September fell compared to August.

This means that as a city Cardiff is in the bottom 10 for the UK. The argument being put forward to keep cars out of the city is unfounded as there is little to no public transport as an alternative to using a car. In addition, the argument for this road to be open to cyclists only is a lot of twaddle as Castle Street has already been opened to cyclists. Of course if cyclists bothered to read road signs this would have already been noted by them.

The shops, and in particular our much loved indoor market, are suffering and I wonder how much longer it will be before we witness mass shop closures and the loss of the market.

We don’t need to put a Christmas market in Castle Street as the existing site around The Hayes and St John’s Church works very well. We urgently need to reopen the main arterial route in our capital city, not only to let people resume visiting the city centre but to also address the current ludicrous situation whereby the east and west of the city are split.

I don’t believe this road will be reopened to cars and it will herald the death knell to the city centre which is shameful and unnecessary. Our councillors should remember that they are elected representatives of the people of Cardiff and the money they spend is public finance which we contribute to through our not inconsiderable council tax.

Mrs Sian Davies Cyncoed, Cardiff

DOES anyone know what the Welsh Government’s Covid strategy is? Because after more than six months of this farce I still haven’t a clue and I don’t think the scientists or politicians do either.

What I am sure of is that our economy is being trashed, with young people feeling the brunt due to the looming jobs crisis and their education being disrupted. Who’d want to be a student now, locked up like a prisoner, unable to socialise and their highcost teaching done online?

Meanwhile our leaders flap around in an effort to be seen to be doing something. Johnson, Drakeford, Sturgeon – they are all equally useless in having no overall plan. All they do is react to events – badly.

The initial lockdown, we were told, was to protect the NHS. It worked; the NHS was not overwhelmed. As restrictions were then lifted, inevitably the infection rate went up so the Welsh Government imposed local lockdowns. But these can only suppress the virus for as long as each lockdown lasts. When lifted, the virus surges back.

Must we now endure cycles of local lockdowns while waiting for a vaccine to rescue us?

Waiting for Godot more like – and even more surreal than the Samuel Beckett play.

T Flynn

Cardiff

I wonder how much longer it will be before we witness mass shop closures

Mrs Sian Davies Cyncoed