BUS services to and from Scotland's newest hospital are under threat because vital infrastructure remains unfinished, transport bosses have warned.
The "absence of any progress" on Fastlink routes in Glasgow city centre means commercial operators are at risk of axing services to and from the South Glasgow University Hospitals site, according to a report due to go before a meeting of Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) today.
The number of buses serving the new super-hospital in Govan at peak times has surged from 14 to 72 per hour, and is due to rise to 76 from July 19.
It includes the Stagecoach X1 and McGill's F1 services which both run on segregated Fastlink bus lanes.
However, the report warned this may not be sustained.
It states: "The provision of the vast majority of these services has been made, through SPT's intervention, at the commercial will of operators and at no cost to the public purse.
"However, due to the ongoing risk of delays to the provision of infrastructure primarily on Fastlink sections, there remains some concern over the possible withdrawal of commercial services."
Pressure to beef up public transport links ahead of the hospital opening this summer came amid concerns over a shortage of car parking for staff and visitors.
The report went on to criticise the "absence of any progress on the Fastlink city centre routes, which are fundamental to the success of the project."
The swipe at council bosses comes months after Mr MacLennan wrote to the chief executives of SPT's other member councils urging them to lobby Glasgow to accelerate the city centre leg of the £40 million project.
The 3.5 mile project was originally scheduled for the Commonwealth Games, but is not expected to be finished until mid-July.
However, progress is understood to have been stalled partly by delays to installing bus shelters at the Broomielaw.
Council workers who recently dug up the road to lay the cables to transmit live bus info to the shelters were forced to relay the tarmac instead due to delays in SPT receiving the shelters. The road will have to be dug up again soon once the shelters are delivered.
A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said: "The works associated with Fastlink are substantially complete with more than 70 percent of the segregated route open and in use.
"However, there are elements of infrastructure along the Fastlink sections which have still to be done, such as the installation of bus shelters by SPT, as well as some work on Golspie Street, although this part of the route cannot be fully utilised due to SPT's renovation of the Subway at Govan."
A spokeswoman for SPT said: "Although not yet fully operational Glasgow City Council have been able to release further sections of the route and we are now in receipt of a revised infrastructure delivery programme from them. While there are no new concerns we will continue to monitor the situation on behalf of the commercial bus operators."
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