SPEEDING motorists on one of Newport's busiest roads could be targeted, with Gwent Police and Newport City Council looking at long term ways to address the issue.

Chepstow Road has been the scene of some high profile incidents in recent times and residents want action.

A crash in the early hours of Saturday, January 25 saw four residents’ cars written off, and just a month earlier, another resident said he feared for his family’s life after his car was hit four times on the road – amounting to around £20,000 in damages.

In response to these incidents, residents called on the police and the council to clampdown on speeding.

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"Gwent Police are working with Newport City Council to assess reports of speeding along Chepstow Road in Newport which we understand are a key concerns for members of the community," says a joint statement issued by the police and the council.

"Speed monitoring is routinely carried out by Go Safe along the road, and discussions are taking place with partner agencies to understand key areas of concern and look at longer term ways to work together to address any issues.

"Newport City Council will consider traffic calming where it will improve safety in areas where people are being injured because of high traffic speeds, and it will meet the Welsh Government targets set out in the Road Safety Framework for Wales.

"Residents can request traffic calming measures online at newport.gov.uk/en/Transport-Streets/Road-safety/Traffic-calming.aspx

"To report speeding or any concerns regarding anti-social driving, please call 101 or alternatively, you can send a direct message to the Gwent Police Facebook or Twitter social media accounts."

Cllr Mark Spencer, ward member for Beechwood, said: “I have asked the council about what they can do about lighting and the islands on Chepstow Road.

“We are just waiting to see if they can do anything to help with those.

“It’s not just in Chepstow Road, there are problems with speeding in other areas of the ward too.

“We are in constant contact with the local police and all we can do is to keep reminding them of the issues we face here. All I can advise people to do if they have concerns is to ring 101.”

Chepstow Road resident, John Granger, said: “Four cars have been written off after this [the crash on January 25]. When you look at the damage it runs in to the tens of thousands.

“The two traffic islands cause the speeding motorists to swerve and smash into the parked cars.

“To us it’s a serious crime that they are allowing people to get away with.”

Another resident, Kirstie Jenkins, said: "It's still an ongoing issue.

"I have asked the police about speed bumps, but have since found out that is not something that can be done.

"Speed cameras stop people driving fast and when they do drive fast, they get prosecuted, so that might be a solution.

"We are just hoping something gets done, as people are still continuing to speed and it's dangerous."