A MASSIVE new hospital in the south of Glasgow will cause traffic gridlock over a large part of the city unless urgent action is taken.

That's the claim of SPT chairman Alistair Watson who is calling for the Scottish Government to intervene.

The Strathclyde Partnership for Transport boss told a packed public meeting that a major re-think of public transport and travel is needed before the new Southern General opens its doors.

He claimed the £842million super hospital, which will be one of the biggest in Europe, will result in traffic chaos unless major improvements in public transport are put in place.

Mr Watson said: "If nothing is done, people will continue using their cars and they will gridlock the whole of the south west of Glasgow."

The new hospital will have more than 10,000 staff and around 750,000 visitors a year.

Mr Watson added: "There is already a problem at the Southern General with about 35% displacement of vehicles from the hospital grounds to surrounding streets because of the introduction of parking charges.

"Once the new Southern General opens, the potential for further problems is absolutely enormous because there will be an almost unquantifiable increase in traffic volume."

Mr Watson insists the cash to solve the problems should be provided by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the Scottish Government.

He said: "I would like to sit down with all the transport operators and re-plan much of the Glasgow bus network because the scale of the Southern General is so big it has implications beyond Glasgow's boundaries.

"Without action, there will be traffic chaos."

Mr Watson said SPT was willing to work with the Scottish Government and other organisations to find the best way forward.

SPT wants to create dedicated bus lanes called Fastlink which would run from the city centre to the Southern General and on to the Glasgow Harbour development.

9 May 2008

By Vivienne Nicoll

Reproduced with the permission of The Evening Times, Glasgow © 2008 Herald & Times Group