A DRIVER has been fined after illegally driving through the pedestrian zone in Caldicot.

Caldicot councillors have been calling for action against drivers who drive their vehicles through the pedestrian zone on Newport Road for the past few years. They say vehicles are driving illegally into the pedestrian zone on a regular basis which is the main shopping area in the town.

A woman driver was issued with a £30 fixed penalty fine for contravention of road traffic regulation (driving on pedestrian zone) for the incident which took place on June 30. This incident was witnessed by three Caldicot councillors Frank Rowberry, Alan Davies and David Evans, the mayor of Caldicot.

When town councillors Rowberry and cllr Davies approached the car to inform the driver of the pedestrian zone they say they were verbally abused by a man who was the passenger. 

A Gwent Police spokeswoman said they received a report of an incident of racially aggravated abuse and a 59-year-old man from the Cheltenham area voluntarily attended Chepstow Police Station. They said enquiries are ongoing. 

Cllr Evans said to his knowledge this is the first driver to be fined for driving in the pedestrian zone.

He said: "I don't think it is enough of a deterrent to be honest if that's all they are going to get a £30 fine. They should be made an example of – especially in this case with the verbal abuse from the passenger.

"There are vehicles going down there that shouldn't be. At the end of the day we have a duty to protect the public that visit the centre."

Calls for action came after a woman with a pushchair containing a 20-month-old baby was involved in a road collision with a van in August of last year outside the Wye Valley Studios on Newport Road.

Following a public meeting where businesses voiced their concerns about access for their deliveries vehicles a permit scheme was set up which went live in December.

This allows access for delivery vehicles for businesses that do not have rear access in the pedestrian zone before 10.30am and after 4pm. 

Cllr Evans said more needs to be done as the permit system is not working. He said the suggestion of bollards will be put on the agenda for the next Caldicot Town Council meeting in September.

Monmouthshire council's transport and network manager will also be invited to the town council to discuss the ongoing issue.

Anyone with information about the incident on June 30 is asked to call 101 quoting log 161 30/6/15.