ACTIVE travel groups are calling on council bosses to rethink plans for walking and cycling during COP26.

As told by the Glasgow Times last month, GoBike lobbied Glasgow City Council with a petition last month to keep active travel open for business during the conference.

The move came after news the east-wet active travel corridor between the Squinty Bridge and Partick would shut during the November climate event.

Now campaigners from GoBike, Glasgow Eco Trust and Get Glasgow Moving are calling for the council to pledge to create protected Active Travel Lanes.

GoBike campaigns lead Iona Shepherd said: “Closing Glasgow’s busiest active travel route during a climate conference is beyond counter productive to the whole aim of the conference itself.

"While we recognise the security reasons for this, the diversion that Glasgow City Council has proposed adds an extra two miles on to the journey of people cycling and promises no

protection from motor traffic on some extremely busy roads.

"Sharing space with motor vehicles is not something many people using bikes feel safe doing, and so active travel during the conference will not be an option for them.

"Many residents and delegates will be forced to use cars, further increasing congestion and pollution in the city.

"We would like to see high quality protected Active Travel Lanes put in place during the conference and have identified a solution outside of the security cordon that requires the council

to work harder to implement than the minimum they have promised.

"In a declared climate emergency, while the city hosts the world's biggest conference that aims to provide solutions to the crisis, we would expect the local authority to do much more to support active travel, one of the key solutions to the problems we face."

GoBike said direct and traffic free diversions are needed, and without them, people’s safety, the environment, and Glasgow’s reputation will be affected.

Glasgow City Council said security restrictions limit bosses from revealing too much about plans but that green walking and cycling options are being prepared.

A spokesperson for Get Ready Glasgow said: “During COP26 we are looking to encourage active travel among delegates and visitors as well as our citizens.

"An active travel map is being produced and COP26 wayfinding signage will help people navigate their way around the city.

"To facilitate the conference there will be some security road closures and restrictions, but alternative routes will be available and signed, to re-connect active travellers at appropriate points within the network."

The United Nations climate conference will be in Glasgow in November 2021, hosted by the UK government.

Neil Lovelock from Glasgow Eco Trust said: “We are disappointed that the powers that be are not using COP26 as an opportunity to promote climate friendly travel across the city.

"We have seen with the Spaces for People programme during the pandemic lockdown that the authorities can act swiftly when required.

"The clocks go back at the end of October which will make travelling on roads without protection from motor cars much more hazardous.

"We call on the city council, the Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the UK Government to engage with GoBike Glasgow and others to come up with a workable solution that enables more people to travel actively and safely.”

Get Glasgow Moving, the campaign for better public transport, have also endorsed the calls, and have also reiterated their demands for free public transport during COP26.