Welsh council closes road for £6,500 clean-up after drivers throw rubbish from vehicles

A special traffic management system has been introduced by Bridgend County Borough Council as work to clear the rubbish gets under way.

A council in South Wales is spending £1,000 a day on a week-long litter clean-up on a main road.

Bridgend County Borough Council is warning motorists to expect delays on the A48 as traffic will be reduced to a single lane in some sections for rubbish to be removed safely from the verge.

The five-day operation will cost approximately £6,500 and is funded directly from council budgets, a spokesperson says.

Councillor Rhys Goode, cabinet member for wellbeing, added: "In the case of the A48, litter and refuse, most of which has been thrown from passing vehicles, has accumulated in shrubbery, trees and bushes, and has built up along the highway verge.

"In order to remove it, we have to introduce special traffic management measures such as using impact protection vehicles, and close down sections of the route to provide a safe working environment for staff.

"All of this costs more than a thousand pounds a day to provide, and because it can only be carried out between certain hours, we also have to factor in issues such as overtime costs as well as the inconvenience that removing the litter could cause for other drivers.

"This is, of course, money that could be far better spent on providing vital services, especially at a time when council budgets are being squeezed for every penny and the cost of living crisis is hitting us hard."

The council has also reminded the public to dispose of their rubbish responsibly.