Police were forced to act as scores of cars parked illegally at the lakeside
A popular Welsh beauty spot was overrun by day-trippers on Saturday leading to cars being towed away as the area struggled to cope with the crowds. The ongoing heatwave had people fleeing from cities with many seeking relief at cooler locations.
One hotspot was Bala in Gwynedd where people flocked to enjoy the cool waters of Llyn Tegid, Wales’ biggest natural lake.
However the influx of vehicles caused chaos around the lake. It was reported that numerous cars were parked illegally along the Llangower shoreline blocking residential driveways and preventing farmers from accessing their fields.
The situation worsened when a campervan parked in a bus turning area, prompting Lloyds Coaches to warn of “significant delays” on the TSC service to and from Llanuwchllyn within Eryri National Park.
North Wales Police broadcast an early alert regarding congestion as a lakeside car park near the town’s leisure centre filled to capacity and shut down. Tourists were urged to seek alternative parking spaces away from the lakefront and due to high traffic levels motorists were recommended to steer clear of the area altogether.
Not long afterwards the Eryri National Park Authority announced that another lakeside car park on the B4403 near Llangower had been similarly sealed off. This car park closure follows last summer’s implementation of a clearway order to ban roadside stopping, save for emergency situations, reports NorthWalesLive.
Cyngor Gwynedd cited “reckless parking” as the reason for traffic chaos that has not only led to congestion but also delayed emergency services. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here
Local residents also reported to witnessing the chaos with one woman recounting: “It took me 45 minutes to get from Llanuwchllyn to Bala after 3pm today. There were a number of vehicles parked along the road – some almost a mile from the car park!”.
Typically the journey from Llanuwchllyn to Bala spans five miles and takes about 13 minutes. During her drive she saw two tow trucks at work.
She noted that Eryri National Park officers were managing the Llangower car park entrance while police were attempting to regulate traffic from Bala.
She continued: “I understand police were stopping all but locals at the Bala end. But some cars insisted on proceeding, causing further problems for the tow drivers as they tried to load and turn.
“The lorry drivers were understandably furious. I felt sorry for the local farmers trying to reach their hay fields and for locals trying to use cones to prevent visitors from blocking their drives.”
The situation was no better on the A494 along the lake’s northern shore. To bypass the B4403 jam she chose this route on her return trip.
She added: “I was shocked to see dozens of cars parked half on verges and opposite double white lines.
“All the laybys were full and some cars blocked the Llwybr Tegid cycle/foot path. There were spaces in both car parks in the town but people had parked on the green spaces by the leisure centre.
“I’m sorry people travelled such a long way to find the place is completely overcrowded so awareness of the problems might help prevent them being disappointed in the future.”
By 4pm Lloyds Coaches was compelled to report “significant delays” on its T3C service. The company took to social media with a post dripping in sarcasm to criticise a campervan owner who had taken over a bus turning spot in Llanuwchllyn.
The firm said: “We must commend the owner of the campervan who has demonstrated impeccable timing by choosing the bus turning area as a prime location for their parking.
“If you bring your campervan or motor home to our beautiful Wales please leave it at a locally-owned site and use the affordable local bus network.
“While we appreciate innovative uses of space we ask passengers to anticipate disruption while we work to resolve this exceptional situation. We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.”