Can Glasgow let go of the private motor car?

A new transport plan for the city centre puts the car at the bottom of a hierarchy of street users.

Walking and wheeling are at the top of the tree, in this classification system pedestrians are the king of this urban jungle.

Cyclists are next, followed by public transport and then taxis and private hire cars.

READ MORE: New Glasgow city transport plan puts cars bottom of priority list

Then at the bottom of the pile is the private motor car.

Changes have already been taking place with more car-free streets, more bus gates and recently more cycle lanes.

In short, more space where cars don’t go.

With the new plan, if it is approved, there will be even more no-go zones for the private motor car.

When those opposed to what are termed anti-car measures state that it is another nail in the city centre coffin it should be remembered that the city centre was thriving long before the streets were choked with car fumes and people spending ages driving round and round looking for a car space.

The streets of Glasgow city centre have changed so much over the years.

The city has always been evolving and moving with the times and reacting to the trends.

In the 1970s pedestrian precincts were introduced, the one-way system for traffic followed and big shopping malls became a feature.

More car parks appeared as more people were able to afford cars and wanted to use them.

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More hotels have appeared as Glasgow became a destination for shopping and events and big office blocks have dominated the skyline.

Then and now, retail has been the biggest driver of change, it’s rise and fall.

The streets have for decades been home to shopping.

Big department stores came and went, names familiar to one generation are unheard of to another, and now with online shopping and the pandemic it bears little resemblance to when was in its heyday.  

What people tend to forget is that when the city centre was at the height of its retail power, even before the introduction of the out-of-town mall, most people did not rely on cars to get there.

Buses, from every corner of the city, were packed full of people going in and out of the town for shopping every Saturday.

For further afield they came on the trains to Central Station or Queen Street.

Still many people who go into town use the bus, as Glasgow has the lowest car ownership in Scotland. Around half of households in the city do not have access to a car.

The changes now taking place are also a result of moving with the times.

There is a need to respond to the climate emergency.

Reducing car use is just one way that cities, like Glasgow, can take steps to reduce carbon emissions.

It is however the loss of retail that is forcing most of the changes.

Already there are more residential developments being approved in the city centre.

There are more young people living in the city centre. Many are students but many are also young people who have moved to the city for work.

Or former students who have decided to stay in the city after graduating.

The city centre is still a destination. It hasn’t given up on retail, it just won’t be the dominant presence.

Already the big retail landlords are planning for the future with St Enoch and Buchanan Galleries looking to fill the spaces left by big stores like BHS and Debenhams with more leisure attractions and space for homes.

With public transport on their doorstep, the people who live there will have less need for cars.

The challenge for the council will be to improve the public transport network for the rest of the city.

There needs to be big improvements to bus and train services to get people in and out of the city centre.

But also, to get people to work and facilities all around the city, to where they want to go and when they want to.

The Clyde Metro is one idea but the city needs a public transport network that works for the people.

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One that is more reliable than it is now, one that is more accessible than it is now and one that is more affordable than it is now.

The measures in the transport plan can be criticised as anti-car or they can be looked upon as pro-people.

To make the city streets more attractive and accessible for people then other forms of transport have to be impacted, like removing on-street parking spaces.

To get people on board with the changes and to convince the many people who like to drive to and from their destinations, then the alternative has to be attractive to them.

Public transport has to become a choice people want to make rather than just be dependent on.