Olympic lanes could be open to all daytime traffic, Boris hints

The controversial Olympic lanes could be opened to all traffic over the next two weeks if there are times when demand from athletes and officials is light, Boris Johnson has hinted.

Electronic message signboards will advise motorists when the Games lanes can be used during the day, he revealed.

“We will operate the lanes flexibly,” the Mayor said. “If demand from official Olympic vehicles is low, we will open up the lanes to all traffic.”

The Olympic Route Network was a requirement of all host cities, he insisted, but the network of routes has already been slashed by a-third compared to what was originally planned.

London Assembly member John Biggs, who represents east London where the Games are being staged, has challenged why the lanes need to operate right up to midnight—long after the Games finish for the day.

He told the Advertiser: “These lanes are just for the men in blazers—the ‘Blazer’azzi’ swanning around in chauffer-driven limmos to and from their paid-for hotels.

“They don’t need their own lanes up to midnight, just to rush away from events.

“Serious athletes will get to venues hours before if they aren’t staying in the Olympics Park village.”

Drivers straying into the lanes between 6am and midnight face �130 fines, including parking or stopping along the prescribed routes. Parked vehicle will be removed to a vehicle pound.