June marked six years since the Labour Welsh Government pulled the plug on the much-needed M4 relief road project.

Not only did any hope of alleviating never-ending congestion go down the drain when the project was spiked, but so did £157m of taxpayer cash which had already been spent laying the groundwork.

In the six long years since the relief road axing , things have worsened on the M4 – especially since the dreaded 50mph speed cameras were installed.

The fact remains we still need an M4 relief road.

Bumper-to-bumper traffic and long delays is something I’m sure many reading this will have endured at some point when travelling along the M4.

Simply, the M4 is not fit for purpose.

We have seen just how fragile our road network is recently with the weight restrictions being introduced on the M48, stopping HGV vehicles over 7.5t using the route.

This restriction – which has now seen ANPR cameras installed as part of enforcement – has resulted in the HGVs using alternative routes, including the M4.

Regular clogs are not just a nightmare for those caught up in them, but they are a major economic block and are making Wales a less attractive place to do business.

Shockingly, the M4 in Newport was ranked within the top 50 traffic hotspots in Europe and was the 4th most congested stretch of urban motorway in the UK.

Yet still, no action has been taken to crack the issue – despite a commitment to build the M4 relief road being included in Labour’s manifesto.

The project even had the backing of some Labour MSs including current Transport Minister Ken Skates MS, Labour MS Jayne Bryant and Vaughan Gething MS, who had a brief stint as our First Minister.

Vaughan previously declared: “Doing nothing is no longer an option on the M4 Relief Road. Businesses across South and West Wales need certainty that the M4 will not be left as it is. I am determined that we will act and go ahead with an M4 relief road.”

Clearly something has changed in the minds of Labour politicians as when we brought forward a debate calling for the relief to be built, they voted it down.

The Welsh Conservatives recognise the pressing need for the M4 relief road. A Welsh Conservative Government would get spades in the ground and deliver the relief road.

We need to get South Wales moving again