Johnson Urges Use of Tube for Olympics

London Mayor Boris Johnson has urged chiefs of the Olympic Games to take the Tube during the games this summer. This comes as organisers launch a website with details of expected hotspots on the capital’s underground system. There are expected to be 7,000 technical officials, 14,000 athletes, 20,000 media and 11 million spectators at the 2012 London Olympic Games, and the opening ceremony for the events will be held on July 27.

At the launch of Get Ahead of the Games, a campaign aimed to raise awareness of transport issues during the Olympics, Johnson said that he urges all members of the International Olympic Committee to do the right thing and use the Jubilee Line, as they will love it. He wants the sponsors and chiefs to forego travel on the dedicated Games Lanes open to them during the Olympics and take advantage of the capital’s public transport system instead, which has had improvements worth £6.5 billion. He says the new campaign is a main part of the preparation and planning that will help everyone in the city profit from what is to be a “remarkable summer”.

The event on Monday also saw the launch of new eye-catching magenta signage for the Games. Transport Secretary Justine Greening says events organisers and Transport for London (TfL) have been working with businesses to ensure there are contingency plans in place to cater to the surge of travellers in London during the events. The multi-media advertising campaign will directly communicate with travellers to offer tips, travel information and advice about reducing their journey times, taking different routes, travelling at different times and using different modes of travel to avoid Olympic hotspots. The government will lead the way by working and travelling more flexibly during the events. Her department itself has changed 50% of its transport plans.

The Get Ahead of the Games campaign has three phases. The first aims to raise awareness of how and where transport will be affected. The second will show the alternative options that travellers can use to avoid congestion – working at different times, in other locations or using alternative means of transport. The third phase is encouraging people to use these options during the Games.

Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy says the twin objectives to host a great Games and keep the capital moving will be achieved, as the city is well equipped to deal with 3 million more travellers on the busiest days. The new day-by-day planner on the website shows which Tube stations will be the busiest, while there could be half-hour delays for passengers at hotspots like Canary Wharf and London Bridge during rush hour. People won’t be adversely affected if they plan their routes.

London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) chairman Sebastian Coe, however, has defended the controversial Games Lanes, which stretch for a total of 30 miles and will be introduced for Olympic vehicles during the events. He describes the network as ‘a Godsend for athletes’.