Olympic Games: how will London cope?

The Typhoons are taking part in a nine-day training operation over London’s skies – underlining “the commitment of the Ministry of Defence and our armed forces to keeping the public safe at a time when the world will be watching us,” according to Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond.

Air Vice-Marshal Stuart Atha, air component commander for Olympics air security, said the fighter aircraft would help in a ” 9/11-type attack” or a lesser threat.

The security challenges are considerable, but so are the day-to-day logistics of getting to and from work when the Games and Paralympics take place. The events begin on 27 July and last 29 days over a six-week period.

The numbers associated with the Olympic Games and Paralympics are bewildering:

* 46 sports
* 53 venues
* 15,000 athletes
* 11 million spectators
* 20 million spectator journeys in London
* 100 days of travel disruption

Deloitte, the official professional services provider to London 2012, warned in the autumn of 2010 that businesses were unprepared for the Games, with two-thirds of companies surveyed saying they did not expect any impact on their business.

By January 2012, the picture had changed: almost nine in ten firms said they had assessed or planned to assess the impact of the Games. The availability of staff remained the biggest concern, followed by security and transport disruption.

Almost half of businesses told Deloitte they planned to review their holiday policies, with a third considering flexible working.

Business preparedness will be assessed on 8-9 May, when Canary Wharf Group carries out a “stress test” to see how companies cope when their put their plans for the Games into effect.

Home working

Because of the disruption to transport links, some firms, including KPMG and Ernst & Young, are planning home working and staggered hours. Others are keen to test their computer and telecommunications systems when they are used remotely. The results will be collated by Deloitte.

Engineers employed by Sainsbury’s, a Paralympics partner, will use mopeds and motorbikes to deal with problems in supermarkets.

The good news is that travel disruption, instead of being widespread, will be focused on particular locations at certain times of the day. On the busiest days there will be three million extra journeys in London, with transport networks far busier than usual, particularly along routes serving central London and Games venues.

Two-thirds of Tube and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) stations will be unaffected, but so-called “hotspot” stations on the DLR, Central and Jubilee lines will be “exceptionally busy” at certain times.

Bank Tube and DLR, Earls Court Tube, London Bridge mainline, Waterloo mainline and Mile End Tube will be among the worst affected. But Tube services will start earlier and finish later.

Getting ahead

Around 70 per cent of the road network in London will not be affected. Transport for London (TfL) has created a website – getaheadofthegames.com – which tells people if and when they are likely to experience problems getting to and from work.

TfL, which describes the challenge as Britain’s “largest peacetime logistical exercise”, says: “The impact of the Games on the public transport network will be tackled by a reduction in those planning to travel, through working at alternative locations, including home, staggering working hours, working longer but fewer days, taking annual leave or swapping to alternative forms of transport – including walking and cycling.”

The organisation says it has been working with businesses for over a year and “there is increasing evidence that they are planning ahead to reduce their travel and avoid the hotspots”. Almost 500 major companies, employing more than 600,000 people, have drawn up travel plans they have shared with TfL.

Airports

Airports will not be spared either. Amid the controversy over the build-up of lengthy queues at passport control at Heathrow, four airlines – British Airways, BMI, Easyjet and Virgin Atlantic – have warned that passengers could face “severe delay and disruption” during the Olympics.

The government has announced that extra staff will be employed to ease delays.

Security

With security stepped up for the Games, the sound of aircraft over London will become more common in the days ahead. Phillip Hammond said: “Whilst there is no specific threat to the Games, we have to be ready to assist in delivering a safe and secure Olympics for all to enjoy.”

Tim Robinson, editor of Aerospace International, says: “During the 31-day Olympics peak period over 110,000 air movements are expected in the London area including an estimated 700 additional charter flights, together with 1,250-1,500 extra helicopter flights per day. There will also be up to 10,000 private jet flights, as well as around 240 flights carrying heads of state.”

In London, there will also be surface-to-air missiles at strategic locations, an extra 9,500 police officers and up to 13,500 unarmed military personnel providing additional security.