Commuters on the M8 motorway near Glasgow Airport found themselves in the midst of travel chaos as a vehicle fire forced the closure of the westbound lanes. Emergency services rushed to the scene, but it wasn’t just the blaze they had to contend with. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the details of the incident, its impact on commuters, and the subsequent arrest of a 36-year-old man in connection with a road traffic offence.
At approximately 3 am, emergency services were alerted to a vehicle fire between Junction 28, Glasgow Airport Interchange, and Junction 29. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service dispatched two fire appliances to deal with the blaze, and the police also arrived on the scene. As a result of the incident, thick smoke billowed across the carriageway, making it necessary to close the westbound lanes of the M8.
The closure of a major motorway during the morning rush hour is never ideal. As of 10:30 am, the M8 remained closed with reported delays of up to 35 minutes. Long tailbacks had formed as commuters grappled with the unexpected travel disruption. Local diversions were put in place to help with the situation, but it was clear that this incident had a significant impact on the daily routines of many today.
Police Scotland confirmed the arrest of a 36-year-old man in connection with a road traffic offence. The spokesperson for Police Scotland stated, “Around 2:55 am on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, police received a report of a damaged vehicle on fire on the M8 near Junction 29, Paisley. Emergency services attended, and the fire was extinguished. Enquiries to establish the full circumstances are ongoing.” The closure of the road was deemed necessary to allow for investigation and vehicle recovery to take place.
As of now, the investigation is ongoing, and commuters are advised to stay updated with local news sources and traffic updates to plan their journeys accordingly.
Paisley Photographs 