A £40million transport plan could be at risk after council bosses failed to deliver a key planning element.

Transport bosses are waiting for a city centre traffic plan from the city council, which is essential for funding the £40m Fastlink scheme, due to be up and running before the Commonwealth Games

Fastlink, with new buses and dedicated lanes, will run between the city centre and the SECC and is due to be partially complete before the Games in July next year. After that, it will be extended to Southern General and become fully operational in 2015.

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) officials have given a progress report that says work is going well but they are waiting on a key planning element from the council which could delay roll-out.

Eric Stewart, SPT assistant chief executive said, in the report: "Development of the Fastlink Core Route is progressing well.

"Whilst the various workstreams are within the overall timeline for completion and budget, the details and implementation plan for the city centre elements are awaited from Glasgow City Council and may present a risk to the overall delivery."

The proposals include bus gates and CCTV lane enforcement and are seen as vital for encouraging bus operators to run services on the route. Delivering reductions in congestion and cutting journey times are also a condition on the funding from the Scottish Government.

Mr Stewart added: "The details and delivery plan for these elements are currently awaited from Glasgow City Council."

When pressed over the delays, an SPT spokesperson said: "The Fastlink project is progressing well.

"SPT is in discussion with Glasgow City Council on city centre traffic management measures and we understand they too are on schedule.

"Those measures will allow the scheme to connect with Glasgow Central Station, Queen Street and Buchanan Bus Station.

"They are also essential to encourage bus operators to join the scheme and to deliver a significant reduction in bus journey times."

A council spokesman said: "The council's city centre traffic management plan is progressing on schedule.

"The project development and construction programme for Fastlink is on schedule."

stewart.paterson@ eveningtimes.co.uk