Shoppers in Cardiff faced a frustrating ordeal as they tried to leave St David’s car park in the city centre, with some drivers stuck in long queues for hours. The multi-storey car park, located at the busy shopping centre, has been a hub of gridlock due to heavy traffic and roadworks on various occasions over recent years. Last week, one driver, in particular, shared his experience of waiting for almost four hours to exit the car park, highlighting the severity of the issue.
Reports from last weekend revealed a shopper spending an extensive four hours queued up in their vehicle to leave the car park, enduring the wait from 4.45pm on a Saturday until 8.30pm. Images captured from the scene displayed a line of stationary cars stretched from the bottom all the way up to the top floor of the car park. Witnesses mentioned passengers abandoning their cars to grab a coffee or watching Netflix on their phones due to the extensive delays.
A representative from St David’s acknowledged the congestion issue, attributing it to a road closure and diversions within Cardiff city centre. They expressed regret over any inconvenience caused to shoppers. Similar incidents have occurred in the past, with shoppers stranded within the car park for extended periods. On Valentine’s Day last year, some shoppers reported being immobile on one level for over an hour, moving only three spaces, while others complained of no progress in 20 minutes.
During a busy Saturday in July 2023, hundreds of individuals found themselves trapped in the car park for hours, leading to a chaotic situation with drivers reportedly shouting and swearing. One unfortunate shopper had to cancel her son’s birthday plans due to the extensive gridlock. The issues were attributed to increased traffic in the city centre, making it challenging for vehicles to exit the car park smoothly.
The 2,000-space car park, spanning six floors, has also faced challenges in terms of traffic management. Last year witnessed more scenes of dismay when shoppers were stuck on the seventh floor, barely moving and waiting for 45 minutes to exit. Despite the apologies issued by the centre, the issues persisted, prompting them to collaborate closely with the city’s traffic management team to alleviate the pressure on the car park.
Subsequent to the recent incident last weekend, a spokesperson from St David’s mentioned that steps had been taken to reduce the car park’s capacity temporarily. They assured shoppers of ongoing efforts to address the situation and work in conjunction with Cardiff Council to resolve the exit congestion. The continuous struggles faced by shoppers exiting the car park underscore the need for better traffic management strategies and a more efficient flow of vehicles in and out of the busy area.