Cameras installed to deter speeding drivers set to go live after trial
The A4059 in the Cynon Valley. Photo via Google
Speed cameras are about to go live on a stretch of road that has seen vehicles travelling in excess of 100mph and several severe and fatal crashes over the past five years. As part of a road safety review traffic counters recorded motorists' speed along the A4059 in the Cynon Valley over a seven-day period and the average speed was 48mph, which was below the speed limit at the time (the national speed limit).
However, there were a significant number travelling over the speed limit and there were 15 instances of motorists hitting very dangerous speeds of greater than 100mph - with one vehicle recorded travelling at more than 127mph. GoSafe, a road safety partnership made up of the 22 local authorities in Wales, four Welsh Police Forces, and the Welsh Government, has confirmed that active enforcement of the new road safety scheme on the A4059 between Abercynon roundabout and Cwmbach will begin in October. This means drivers exceeding the recently implemented speed limits will be contacted.
High-severity collisions
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and GoSafe have been jointly working to tackle an increase in high-severity collisions along the A4059 in recent years. There have been several severe and fatal collisions over the past five years on this busy route. In response to all the data and the wider safety review key speed limit changes were put in place along various sections of the A4059 earlier in 2025 following consultation by the council and this generally reduced the speed limit by 10mph along the route.
The section between the A470 roundabout at Abercynon to Mountain Ash now has a 50mph limit with a shorter 40mph section at Quarter Mile junction. Mountain Ash Comprehensive to Cwmbach is now a 50mph route with the 30mph and 40mph sections at Mountain Ash being unchanged. An average speed camera system has been installed on the new 50mph and 40mph sections of the A4059 and two red light/speed-on-green cameras have been introduced near the Mountain Ash Southern Cross Valley Link.
Testing period
The council says: "While the systems have been operational and actively monitoring traffic speeds for some time the testing period has now concluded. "The council and GoSafe have now confirmed the cameras will become operational to enforce the posted speed limits from Wednesday, October 1. "There will be an initial period where warning letters are issued to drivers who are speeding before the option of educational courses and fines are exercised.
"Issuing fixed penalty notices is not the aim of the cameras - they are there to ensure that safe speed limits are complied with and to improve overall road safety." It is estimated the new speed limits add just 25 seconds on average to the journey time in each direction from Cwmbach to Abercynon depending upon the time of day. The council says it is hoped that the new speed cameras will deter drivers from hitting the excessively high speeds that were seen on 15 occasions during the previous review.
The council has also resurfaced the carriageway and renewed the coloured surfacing on the Quarter Mile junction at Abercynon.
Additional coloured surfacing and white lining have also been introduced at more junctions along the A4059 to improve safety along with the renewal of cats' eyes from Abercynon roundabout to Ysbyty Cwm Cynon roundabout.
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