Cycle campaigners have hit out at the removal of a stretch of separated cycle lane in the East End.

The Glasgow Times revealed how the bike lane separator bumps had been removed from London Road, between Clyde Gateway and Springfield Road, outside Celtic Park.

The reason for their removal was that it was thought they could be a trip hazard for football fans going to and leaving Celtic Park, once spectators are allowed back.

READ MORE: Celtic Park bike lane bumps ripped up in case fans trip and get the hump

Go Bike, a cycle campaign group for the greater Glasgow area, said it leaves cyclists unprotected.

The have stencilled protest signs on the lanes stating ‘paint is not protection’.

Glasgow Times:

The black and white armadillo or ‘orca’ humps separate the bike lane from the lanes for other traffic and are to stop vehicles entering the  lane.

The council said the lane will remain but with a painted line marking out the bike lane.

It is part of a longer separated cycle lane in the East End, from Bridgeton Cross to Mount Vernon.

Glasgow Times:

Go Bike say other measures should have been considered before removing the separators.

Iona Shepherd, Go Bike campaign lead, said: “Removing protection from this section of London Road has now created a gap in the slowly forming East City Way, a much-needed start to a linked up active travel network for Glasgow.

“The East End in particular has very little cycling infrastructure as it is, and it is ironic that this has happened directly outside an international velodrome.

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“We have asked the council for their risk assessments around this step and still await eyes on those. With pavement kerbs taken into account, we find it hard to understand why a purported trip hazard on occasional match days should lead to the removal of a measure that makes cycling significantly safer every single day. We have seen the use of wands overcoming this issue successfully in London - a complete removal is nonsense.

Glasgow Times:

“We are facing a climate emergency and as Glasgow prepares to host the COP26 climate conference it is distressing to see moves to encourage active travel ripped out. Protection for cycling along the full length of London Road must be reinstated.”

When the cycle lane separators were removed the council said it was a safety measure with large numbers of people expected in the area on match days again.

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council, said: “With Celtic Park due to reopen to spectators again shortly, we have looked again at the Spaces for People measures on London Road immediately outside the stadium.

“Through consultation with Police Scotland, the cycle separators on the route between Clyde Gateway and Springfield Road were identified as a potential trip hazard for fans leaving stadium.

“To ensure the safety of fans exiting the stadium en-masse these separators been removed along a limited stretch only.

“The traffic regulation order for the Spaces for People lane outside the stadium remains fully in place and the lane will be clearly defined as for cyclists only through relining and other measures.

“We have just completed a wider, public consultation on whether temporary Spaces for People measures should be retained on a permanent basis.

“An independent engineer will review the responses to the consultation as well as the temporary infrastructure that’s been installed before making recommendations that will be reported back to the council later this year.

“The implementation of any permanent changes to the road system are always subject to the statutory traffic regulation order process.”