Olympics will delay drivers
Thursday August 5, 2010
Drivers who use the A4 Talgarth Road and A40 Westway can expect delays during the 2012 Olympics, according to the Mayor of London.
Mayor Johnson, speaking on behalf of Transport for London (TfL), warned Londoners to expect congestion as he unveiled plans for special VIP lanes for Olympic and Paralympic traffic.
Normal motorists will be banned from the lanes on some key routes in a bid to transport elite athletes and LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games) organisers between the various Olympic sites on time.
Earls Court, which is hosting the Volleyball Tournament, is the closest venue to Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) that is hosting an event – although sites like Wembley Stadium, in neighbouring Brent, are also hosting events which will lead to the borough’s roads being affected.
At least 60 miles of roads across the capital will have priority lanes for officially accredited Olympic vehicles only. The lanes, typically operating between 6:00am and midnight, will form part of 104-mile network during the weeks of the Olympics. The A40 and A4 – which are the borough’s two most important east-west routes – are part of the network that will only have occasional restrictions on them when an event is happening in the area.
Mr Johnson said: “I hope that Londoners will understand that some modest inconvenience at Games time is a price worth paying for a happy Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Traffic lights will be phased green for Games vehicles and routes will be monitored by CCTV mobile patrols and motorists who flout the rules will be fined £200.
The Olympic Route Network (ORN) will start from 2012 and last until early September. Buses will be sent on diversion and taxis will be banned from the Olympic-only lanes. Non-essential road works will be banned.
Paul Deighton, LOCOG Chief Executive said: “Staging the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2012 is a huge logistical challenge. We will need to move thousands of athletes, workers and media around the city to ensure they can do their jobs, plus ensure the city is kept moving for everyone else. Having a clear transport plan is a vital part of staging a Games that the whole country can be proud of.”
The network will be used by 82,000 athletes, officials, VIPs, sponsors and media in chartered buses or cars.
Cllr Nick Botterill, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Many of us are looking forward to the Olympic Games in 2012 but this should not be at the expense of normal hardworking residents who are trying to get to work or go about their daily lives. On the face of it, the plans appear quite sensible and proportionate but – if any serious concerns emerge over the coming weeks and months – we will of-course feed these back to LOCOG and TfL.”
Meanwhile, some residents in neighbouring Kensington & Chelsea have voiced concerns about West Brompton train station being overlooked by LOCOG as a way of getting 45,000 in and out of the volleyball tournament at Earls Court.
For more information on the ORN visit: www.london2012.com/publications (opens new window).
