Olympic London a ghost town

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

To all intents and purposes most of (central) London resembles a ghost town during the Olympic Games.

Instead of bringing lots of tourists and others into London and into shops of all kinds the fact is that retailer outlets are empty as are the streets.

Most people, tourists as much as commuters, seem to be staying away from London and stores and market traders are saying that they are, in fact, losing out rather than making the large profit, as they were promised.

Public transport, unlike during normal times, are almost empty as, so it would appear, people are staying away from London in droves. Hotel rooms also are going begging and, so the story goes, many small hotels have reduced their rates simply in order to attract people to come and stay in London this summer.

Instead of bringing benefits the 2012 Olympics in London is going to cost, so it would appear, everyone dearly, from the tax payers to the retailers and everyone in between.

The streets are empty, even in places that are nowhere near the Olympic venues and the controlled traffic lanes and such, and this included Oxford Street and the West End per se.

Theaters in the West End of London are empty and so are shops. So much for all the benefits that the economy was going to get from the 2012 London Olympics.

If I would be a betting man I would bet my bottom dollar that the legacy will turn out as much as flop – for the people at least – as the economic boots that the games were going to bring to London and the country as a whole.

I would suggest that alone the fact that London was, basically, turned into an armed camp with all its over the top security measures has turned many a tourist, from Britain and abroad, to come into the capital.

Even the commuters seem to be either gone on vacation or are working from home, and they are turned off, predominately, by the fact that many of the roads have been turned into the Games super highways and are out of bounds to the ordinary folks and also that there was a traffic chaos expected on public transport.

There will be no economic boot; the opposite rather, and I also hazard a suggestion that there will be no Olympic legacy that will benefit the people of this country whose tax dollars (even though the UK does not use dollars) funded the games.

A total waste and to top it all the greenest games have decided that they rather used natural gas (more than likely supplied by the main sponsor EDF) of bio-gas to fuel the cauldron with the Olympic flame.

© 2012

No light aircraft over London during 2012 Olympics

Pilots of light aircraft warned they will be shot down if they fly anywhere over London during the Olympics

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

From what sources have indicated it would appear that the skies over the British capital will be totally militarized during the forthcoming 2012 Olympic Games held there this summer.

Light aircraft pilots have been warned, including flying schools, not to stray in any way into the airspace over the capital during the games as they will face immediate use of force.

Apparently Apache helicopters and other such gunships will patrol the skies over London with fully armed weapon systems.

If I now wedge my conspiracy theorist hat firmly in place on my head I could start to wonder as to whether there is more to this than meets the eye and as to whether the British public is to be softened up by this to accept military on the streets and in the sky, even after the event.

The fact is that the military will be on the streets also, during the Games, as “additional” security, we are told, during the Olympics and an Assault Ship with Royal Marine Commandos will be moored in the Thames near Tower Bridge.

It would be good advice for anyone to steer well clear of London during the actual Olympic Games and even the run-up to them actually starting up.

People working in London have already been told they should not be traveling into London or out of London on trains, etc., during the peak times when visitors and VIPs are going to travel to the games venues from all over the capital as, apparently, those headed to the games, and especially the VIPs, will have priority everywhere including on public transport and the railway services.

According to some sources, demonstrations of any kind, even peaceful sit ins and others, be they against certain policies at home, or happenings in other countries, or environmental issues, will be, in the run up to and especially during the Olympics, considered unlawful and could be regarded as acts of (domestic) terrorism and dealt with under the Terrorism Act.

Nice one... NOT! All liberties suspended, it would appear, for the durations of the Games. Or is there even more in the offing; things that we are not able to determine as yet? One can but wonder...

The Second World War was fought against governments who used repressive measures against their peoples, with Britain in the forefront in this supposed battle for freedom, and now it would appear that the very country that sacrificed so many of their your men on the battlefield is introducing the same methods.

The mother of modern democracy is becoming a totalitarian police state if we don't do something about it and against it.

© 2012

No targets for walking or cycling to London 2012 Olympics

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Olympics minister Tessa Jowell has admitted the Government has no targets for the amount of people who will walk or use cycles to get to 2012 venues.

The Government has poured millions of pounds into improving transport in and around the capital as part of the long-term legacy of the games.

But, with events due to be staged at venues all over the capital the opportunity to encourage millions of Londoners to walk or cycle is not being exploited.

Nor, so it would appear are there any provisions being made as regards to good and proper cycling and walking routes to the Olympic venues.

Speaking at the Foreign Policy Center's 'Access and Inclusion... Delivering the Green Games' Mrs Jowell admitted no targets were in place, making it impossible to commit to other infrastructure such as cycle racks.

She said: "As to targets for cycling and walking ... we're not setting specific targets."

With the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, committed to plans originally announced by his predecessor, Ken Livingstone, to place 6,000 free rental bikes across London's nine inner boroughs Mrs Jowell seems to be ignoring the benefits of cycling for the games.

Mr Johnson's director of transport policy, Kulveer Ranger, at the same event commented on the lack of a sustainable travel plan.

He said: "It's not there as a fully fledged policy and it needs to be."

It sure does need to be there as a policy but as a writer based in the UK and just south of London I must say that I am not surprised as regards this attitude from the government at all.

As per usual London and Britain miss an opportunity to show the way in green innovation. Then again, the way are as regards to cycling, they could not lead if they tried for the will too create what is being asked for again and again they are not willing to provide.

As I have said previously Britain only makes half-hearted attempts and talks a lot but that about is it when it comes to cycling provisions.

The same is true as to public transit, e.g. buses, trains, etc. where fares are permitted to rise and rise in such a way that using public transport is not really financially viable over the use of the motorcar and hence no real uptake of the services and people remain in their cars for every conceivable trip. Public transport is, simply, too expensive.

But, we were talking about cycling and walking to the Olympics in 2012...

Cities who host the Olympics often have a rare opportunity to improve their infrastructure in a major way. London will host the games in 2012, and it is probably doing a lot of things right, but it seems like it could do more to make the city friendlier to cyclists and pedestrians. One of the weaknesses of the city's bid to the International Olympic Committee was public transportation and it still is, especially the cost of it. The decisions London makes now will have an impact for decades to come, so it is worth doing it right, but, alas,the entire thing is going well over budget and they will claim that they cannot make those provisions.

As already mentioned the British Olympics minister (a special minister just for this), Tessa Jowell, has admitted that she has no targets for the amount of people who will walk or bike to go see the games.

And we can be certain that without specific targets, set by her and her department, it will be most surprising if much emphasis is going to put on the greenest forms of transportation, namely cycling and walking, and that will be a great shame.

One can but hope, but I will not gold my breath, that they will reconsider and set some ambitious – but realistic – targets for walking and cycling to the games, and do their best to provide the infrastructure and incentives to make it happen.

Providing the infrastructure, however, is going to be the moot point in that they will claim that there are no finances for that. It would need paths planned and built for this and that would

What London needs is more bike lanes (especially physically separated ones) and maybe even some pedestrian-only streets.

London will live with the legacy of the 2012 Olympics for a long time. So let us seize the moment and make London a more bike and pedestrian-friendly city.

Let's start with London and then with rest to follow and that pronto! The entire country needs to take a new a different look at cycling (and walking) and with the proper infrastructure I am sure the take up of cycling and walking, to the Olympics and especially afterwards for shopping, commuting, school run and leisure, will follow.

At present the roads are just too dangerous for the cyclist as motorists are more or less prepared to mow down the cyclist without any hesitation should a cyclist come into their way. The attitude of most drivers is that cyclists have no right to be on the road and hence...

© 2009
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