Transport for London highlighted the issue by calling on small businesses to avoid using transport hotspots completely while the Games are on.
A million extra passengers a day are expected on train and bus services during next year’s event, which was intended to be a ‘public transport Games’, according to Boris Johnson.
The mayor’s transport commissioner, Peter Hendy, was quoted as saying: ‘I am not going to be responsible for a transport mess like Atlanta’ – referring to the 1996 competition where an overstretched travel network buckled and caused athletes to miss events.
RMT union head Bob Crow warned that the capital risked ‘a global Olympics travel embarrassment on a massive scale’.
Mr Crow added: ‘It could be like New Year’s Eve every night for three weeks. We support the Olympics but we’re in a situation where we’ve got rid of 600 staff from ticket offices and they are now searching for volunteers.
‘If there was a Mumbai-type bomb attack, what would happen? Stations will close, roads will be cordoned off, lorries won’t be able to make deliveries. We need to work out a plan where there is flexibility for staff.’
London’s transport system, described as ‘obsolete’ by the International Olympic Committee in 2004, has been undergoing a series of upgrades in response.
But Mr Hendy expressed optimism last night, saying the billions of pounds invested in the network was creating a better service for users.
He said: ‘We’re already working with businesses to manage demand. We’re confident we will get all athletes, officials and spectators to their events on time and keep London moving.’
Via: Metro
