Traffic fears led food banks to close doors
FOOD BANKS have been forced to shut due to fears of traffic gridlock caused by COP26.
Local aid groups have told desperate families that traffic jams that surround key depots mean they can’t feed them.
The Gladigator’s Fun Factory in Milton, in the north of the city, was forced to announce the closure of its food bank for three weeks.
It said on Facebook: “We cannot access our pick-up point due to traffic restrictions for COP26.”
The depot of charities FareShare and Well-Fed on South Street, next to the Glasgow Harbour development, are hubs for a huge amount of food donated by big supermarkets, including perishable goods close to the sell-by date.
But it is also situated just off the Clyde Expressway, which was closed and links to many main routes.
Alex O’Kane, of the No1seems2care community group, which helps make deliveries for food banks, confirmed that he knows of several that also decided gridlock would be too much to overcome.
He said: “We don’t want to get caught up in the centre of traffic restrictions, diversions, likely flash protests and long delays.
“We suspect many vulnerable people will be struggling even more over the next few weeks as a direct result of COP26.”
Poverty campaigner Sean Clerkin called for Glasgow City Council to ensure supplies are distributed to all food banks in need.
He said: “The authorities must relent and allow supermarkets to get surplus food to the South Street depot.”
Get Ready Glasgow – part of the city council – said: “The Get Ready Glasgow website provides businesses, organisations and residents with all the information and tools they need to prepare for the event.”
Well-Fed said the traffic issues had turned out to be less severe than anticipated.
A spokesman said: “We have had delays in our deliveries but we planned for these. It’s a shame that some food banks made the decision to stop operations during COP26 but that’s a decision for them.”
He added: “A far bigger issue for us has been the strike by cleansing staff.”