Council Leader calls for urgent meeting to discuss Exeter’s transport issues

A council leader has called for an emergency meeting to discuss transport issues in Exeter after the city’s roads ground to a halt this week following a road traffic incident. 

Exeter City Council Leader Pete Edwards has written to Devon County Council, the Police, Highways England, and Exeter Chamber of Trade and Commerce, calling for an urgent meeting to thrash out the problems. 

He said: “As things stand, there seems little prospect of things improving, and it will get to the point where people will not want to come to Exeter.” 

On Wednesday (2 August) most of Exeter became gridlocked following an accident on the A38 near Haldon Hill.  Some people were stuck in traffic for up to four hours. 

Cllr Edwards is concerned that these sort of incidents are happening more and more often and Devon County Council as the transport authority needed to focus its efforts on tackling these issues.  

In his letter, Cllr Edwards said: “The time has come to show some leadership on this pressing issue. We need a clear and coherent strategy on how the situation is going to improve.  “We need to get around the table and talk about what is currently being done and what will need to be done in the future.” 

Cllr Edwards added: “The continued success of our city relies on an effective and efficient transport network. And the people who live, work in, and visit Exeter are rightly demanding to know what plans are in place to ensure we are able to keep the city moving.”