‘Teething problems’ as car park lights go out
“TEETHING problems” have put a new multi-million-pound car park’s lift out of service for more than a week.
The stairwell lights at the Rhiw in Bridgend town centre have also developed a fault, leaving some motorists in the dark.
The problems have led to complaints from drivers, including disabled Dean Powell, 44, from Llantrisant, who said his “deeply frustrating experience” has put him off returning to Bridgend.
A Bridgend council spokesman said “teething problems” are to be expected and that a replacement part for the lift is expected soon.
He said the “sporadic fault” in the stairwell lights has already been repaired.
The car park, which opened in November, forms an important part of the £9m Vibrant and Viable Places (VVP) project which has been funded by Welsh Government, Coastal Housing Group and Bridgend County Borough Council.
It has been built by Kier Construction and when it opened the council said it provided the town centre with a modern multistorey parking facility that features 242 bays over seven levels, a customer lift, dedicated disabled parking, improved security and more.
The council spokesman said: “We are waiting for a replacement part for the lift to arrive and hope to have it working again very soon. As regards the stairwell lights, we understand that a sporadic fault developed, but that it was promptly repaired.
“Teething problems such as these are to be expected with any new development, and we apologise for any temporary inconvenience it may have caused.”
Dean said he had found disabled parking in the town “horrendous” and when he did find dedicat- ed spaces in the Rhiw, the lift was out of order.
He said: “Visiting Bridgend town centre was a deeply frustrating experience because of the considerable lack of disabled parking bays close to the pedestrian zone of Caroline Street. It appears that the town has a plethora of loading bays and taxi ranks – far more than neighbouring Pontypridd – but fails to cater for those with considerable mobility problems.
“After three circuits of the town centre my situation was further exacerbated when I found myself forced to use the Rhiw car park – due to the lack of disabled parking on the road - and discovered the lift didn’t actually work there either.
“Sadly this kind of experience does nothing to attract me back to Bridgend, which is a town centre that cannot afford to turn away its shoppers.”
A council spokesman said: “Free on-street disabled parking bays are available along Court Road, Derwen Road and Station Hill, while disabled parking bays are also available at the Brackla Street and Rhiw multistoreys, and at the Brackla Street open air car park.
“Bays at the Rhiw Hill will be reinstated as soon as the current building work is complete, and a free Shopmobility service is also available within the town centre.”