Plan ahead before you travel during COP26
Commuters warned to expect delays during conference
Fresh warnings have been issued to Renfrewshire commuters over the COP26 summit.
Severe transport congestion is expected in and around Glasgow, including Renfrewshire, in the run up to - and during- the event.
The United Nations Climate Change Summit takes place at Finnieston, from October 31 until Friday, November 12.
And with an estimated 21,528 Renfrewshire commuters heading into the city daily, transport bosses have urged residents to plan ahead.
Nicola Blaney, head of events resilience at Transport Scotland, said: “The scale of COP26 is unprecedented in terms of the impact it will have on our transport networks. We know that Halloween weekend, Monday November 1, Tuesday, November 2 and Saturday, November 6, will all be particularly busy and commuters should expect severe delays.
“This is due to a combination of road closures around the SEC, including the Clydeside Expressway which will be closed from Saturday, October 23 to Sunday, November 14, and the additional demand on the network from those attending the conference.”
She added: “We’d urge everyone to stay informed and plan ahead to make the right journeys at the right times so we can keep Glasgow and the Central Belt moving as the region takes to the world stage for this once-in-a-lifetime event.”
Planned and unplanned protests staged by climate change protesters are also expected to pile on the pressure, as up to 140 world leaders and 25,000 conference delegates head to the conference.
Transport minister, Graeme Dey, added: “The most up-to-date information including a detailed travel plan, maps, road closures and dates for community and business engagement sessions is readily available.
“I would again urge commuters, businesses and the public to take some time to familiarise themselves with the plans so that we can all work together to help deliver a successful event. I am especially grateful to businesses and the public for engaging with this campaign and playing their part in such a momentous event.”
Detailed travel information will be available from the Get Ready Glasgow website, which provides details on alternative routes, road closure dates and where local access will be maintained.
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) is assisting with transport organisation across Glasgow.
The SPT’s operations committee chair, councillor David Wilson, added: “We are working to ensure both local people and our international visitors can move around the city.
“Working with First Bus Scotland to deliver the official COP26 Zero Emission shuttle service on behalf of the UK and Scottish Governments ensures delegates will get to the event by sustainable public transport and we hope deliver a Glasgow climate agreement we can all be proud of.”
Details on how the public and businesses can prepare themselves are available at www. getreadyglasgow.com