NEWPORT residents will not need reminding of the struggles which can arise from trying to commute in and out of the city.

During the coronavirus lockdown there has not been as much traffic on the roads, and even the stretch of the M4 which passes the city has been much quieter.

The Argus asked you where you commute to from Newport and the surrounding area, and what the worst part about the trip is.

Emma Groves from Newport has to make a round trip over the border to Bristol every morning in order to drop her daughter off at school.

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The approximately 60-mile round trip is, she says, "horrendous" at the start and end of the week, with Monday mornings and Friday evenings seeing traffic build-up a regular occurrence.

If the old Severn Bridge is closed, it can also make the trip a much longer undertaking she said.

However, Ms Groves said that currently, due to coronavirus, traffic is much lighter.

Another Newport resident who travels all the way to Bristol every day is Mel Kearns.

She agreed that the lockdown had made the trip less of an ordeal but said that her commute from Newport to Bristol and back, then to Bassaleg and back from junction 24 has seen her spend "in excess of three hours a day in traffic for at least the last six years - not fun".

The closure of the M48 Severn Bridge, a regular occurrence during lockdown, is also something which can make Hayley Brewer's commute a chore.

"From Newport to Avonmouth for work takes about 35 minutes," she said.

"I hate when M48 bridge is closed."

Using a private car isn't the only way to get to work. However, William Bennett, also of Newport, says that public transport can often present its own challenges.

"From Newport to Llanmartin will take about two hours," he said, including the time spent waiting for the bus which, he said, was not a reliable appearance on Llanmartin streets.

"So to get the Mrs to Newport for work and the kids into college is a nightmare."

Now, alternative ideas to improve Newport's public transport network are being floated.

The Light Rail Transit Association believes an integrated tram and train system is a viable alternative to Newport's traffic issues, now that the M4 relief road project has been scrapped.

Historic tramways – dismantled decades ago and tarmacked over – could be restored and serve as the main public transport option for the city's residents and shoppers, the group argues.

A proposed tram route, which the group dubs the 'T48' line, could connect residential areas on each side of Newport with the city centre and Cardiff, running alongside the A48 dual carriageway between the cities.

The group has submitted its proposals to the South East Wales Transport Commission, which was set up last year – in the wake of the relief road decision