Transport for London (TfL), a UK-based government agency responsible for the transport system in Greater London, UK, has announced a travel advisory for residents of London during the Olympic torch Relay and the initial days of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, commencing from July 27, 2012.
The agency has warned the city’s residents against complacency, and has advised them to plan their journeys in and around the city carefully, using tools provided by the agency, in order of avoid the most congested areas and travel hotspots.
The agency has asked residents and business travellers to use the travel planning tools that it has provided at its GetAheadoftheGames.com website, for a hassle free journey.
Although the Games opening ceremony is not until July 27, the city has already welcomed the first contingent of athletes, officials and world media for the event, with arrivals yesterday. The agency expects international visitors to add more vehicles to the London traffic during next few days, and this is expected to grow until the event ends on August 12, 2012. The maximum traffic congestion is expected around the Olympic Route Network (ORN) and Games venues.
The Olympic Torch Relay will also be starting its London phase on July 21, 2012, and it is expected to draw large crowds to cheer the flame along its route. The agency has released animated maps for every day of the Torch Relay in London, providing information on the effect that the event is having on the city’s road and public transport network.
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said, ‘The Opening Ceremony is just around the corner, the Olympic flame will soon pass through every London borough, and we are poised and ready to welcome the world to our great city. So as the excitement builds, and visitors pour in, it is vital that every one of us takes the time to plan our Games-time journeys in advance, and avoid busy hotspots, by visiting GetAheadoftheGames.com.’
