A £5.4 MILLION project to make Pollok Country Park more pedestrian friendly has been given the green light by local councillors.

Currently, more than 70 per cent of visits to the South Side park are made by car, causing serious traffic congestion and resulting in dangerous parking.

Now Glasgow City Council has approved a sustainable transport plan that will remove private cars from the heart of the park.

Plans - which include a new shuttle bus - have been designed to try to encourage more people to take public transport to the park.

Under the proposals, Pollok Avenue, which runs between the two major fields that are home to Glasgow's famous fold of Highland Cattle, will cease to be a through road to private vehicles.

A committee paper was approved by councillors at a meeting yesterday with concerns raised about the impact of new traffic regulations on local communities.

Conservative councillor Kyle Thornton said: "I am concerned about the potential impact on neighbouring communities. We need to make sure people don't take advantage of car parking in Pollokshaws and Crossmyloof.

"What will be done to stop this?"

Councillor David McDonald said: "There have been a number of public meetings involving residents regarding this. We have been having open discussions."

A spokesman from Glasgow Life added: "We will continue to work with local residents to ensure there is enough parking."

Plans for Scotland's largest urban country park include a new car park being built on a disused blaes pitch on the eastern edge of the park.

They also show reconfigured entry and exit routes for vehicles, the introduction of a zero emissions shuttle bus, an improved network of paths that will help keep pedestrians and cyclists separate from other vehicles and the introduction of electric vehicle charging points.