The Olympic 'Zil' lanes: 250 miles of road will be coned off for 2012 'VIPs'

[Jordy]

I think that's fair enough. Especially seeing as how public transport will be free if you have a ticket to any one of the Olympic events and they're opening up new cycle lanes and such. Traveling around London in 2012 is going to be quite the spectacle.

I think it will be a spectacle yes, no doubt it'll show that London has the best public transport system in the world. However I do worry for the roads, the M25 is congested enough as it is, if you take away a lane from it and put even more cars on it, you're heading for disaster.

[-:Undertaker:-]

we've invited the world for dinner to advertise our country and therefore people who need to be places including the hundreds of athletes, TV vans, journalists, foreign heads of state and politicians, charities, sponsors and their guests. it's common practice at olympic games. TV cameras and mixing trucks don't travel well on public transport.

if we're having an olympic games we might as well make it good. get a grip and complain about something much less trivial. this is such a joke - almost as bad as complaining about wheelie bins.

Well why not use our roads like the rest of us have to? why should politicians and their rich friends be allowed to use our roads free of charge going to the event that we paid for while we are all stuck in the congested roads that the politicians here have failed to sort out - maybe if they do not like the state of the roads they should have spent the billions they have spent on this silly sporting event to build more roads - that afterall is what we pay taxes for.

We do not pay taxes for an expensive and over-the-top sporting event that lasts a few weeks, and at the end leaving us with a costly stadium that will be rarely used (if not at all judging by past examples) and a mountain of debt.

I'll complain about it because its a large sum of money and the way we [the taxpayer] are being treated is disgraceful. We have people dying because they cannot get cancer drugs, we have roads congested - our country is falling apart and is under strain by a massive amount of debt yet our politicians still see no problem in splashing billions and billions on a useless sporting event that will only serve to expand their own egos and treat their friends to a nice few weeks in the VIP boxes.

Then to top that off, we are the ones who will be sitting in our cars on congested roads while the politicians whizz past to see the games we paid for.

Seriously? Because you're pissed, you want the olympics to be a huge failure? It's a ******* road/lane

Yeah I do, and I hope everybody sitting in their cars on the congested roads also get pissed off and all ignore the road closure which would be fantastic. It is time we stopped serving the elite and they serve us like they are supposed to.

Why are you even trying to turn this political? And why the hell do you care?! You live in Liverpool...

Because it is political clever clogs - its being closed for politicians. Exactly on your second point; i'm in Liverpool yet my family and millions of other families are paying for this total waste which none of us will get to go and see and all it is is just another reason for the politicians to be treated to a nice banquet, expand their own egos and be treated as royalty.

We are taxed on everything, then taxed again - then when we die we are taxed. Give people a break.

All Animals are Equal - but some Are More Equal than Others.

Quote: -
Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said: 'A dedicated transport route is essential to the smooth running of an Olympics and London 2012 will be no different. We are absolutely determined to ensure that athletes spend their time competing and not commuting during the Games.'

So - sod the people that are paying for it - they don't matter.All that really matters is that the competitors arrive in time for the VIP's to watch them and, if that inconveniences hundrds of thousands of people getting to work - it is worth it and - it is probably "good for us", This simply is not going to happen in MY country. What do the rest of you think?

- Paul Kearns, Ilfracombe, Devon, 11/12/2008 20:28

That [comment] is spot on.

[Tintinnabulate]

Well why not use our roads like the rest of us have to? why should politicians and their rich friends be allowed to use our roads free of charge going to the event that we paid for while we are all stuck in the congested roads that the politicians here have failed to sort out - maybe if they do not like the state of the roads they should have spent the billions they have spent on this silly sporting event to build more roads - that afterall is what we pay taxes for.

We do not pay taxes for an expensive and over-the-top sporting event that lasts a few weeks, and at the end leaving us with a costly stadium that will be rarely used (if not at all judging by past examples) and a mountain of debt.

I'll complain about it because its a large sum of money and the way we [the taxpayer] are being treated is disgraceful. We have people dying because they cannot get cancer drugs, we have roads congested - our country is falling apart and is under strain by a massive amount of debt yet our politicians still see no problem in splashing billions and billions on a useless sporting event that will only serve to expand their own egos and treat their friends to a nice few weeks in the VIP boxes.

Then to top that off, we are the ones who will be sitting in our cars on congested roads while the politicians whizz past to see the games we paid for.



Yeah I do, and I hope everybody sitting in their cars on the congested roads also get pissed off and all ignore the road closure which would be fantastic. It is time we stopped serving the elite and they serve us like they are supposed to.



Because it is political clever clogs - its being closed for politicians. Exactly on your second point; i'm in Liverpool yet my family and millions of other families are paying for this total waste which none of us will get to go and see and all it is is just another reason for the politicians to be treated to a nice banquet, expand their own egos and be treated as royalty.

We are taxed on everything, then taxed again - then when we die we are taxed. Give people a break.



That [comment] is spot on.

Two words: Multiplier effect.
Building more roads doesn't bring in additional money, hosting the Olympics does ...
I didn't think you would want the government to spend money on roads with so much debt :S.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Two words: Multiplier effect.
Building more roads doesn't bring in additional money, hosting the Olympics does ...
I didn't think you would want the government to spend money on roads with so much debt :S.

Wrong, because with the multipler effect we'd solve debt by simply spending. The Olympics are not going to make a profit and have already made a loss, you also have to remember that the money for the Olympics wasn't there in the first place and will not be paid back for decades - meaning that the interest on that debt is going to have to be paid year on year. I think you are using the absurd theory that Labour spewed out over election time, that to get out of recession you need to spend - that simply does not work and has been proven in numerous socialist economies which ended up bankrupt (including the British economy in 1979) and of course all of that is another can of worms. However, if you have no money and have debts to your name, you do not go out and spend more money to 'get yourself out of debt' because it doesnt work. I would understrand your point if the government was investing in something that made a profit - however the Olympic Games do not make a profit they make a disasterous loss.

The Olympics have already made a loss and while roads do not make a profit, roads are essential - costly games are not.

[GommeInc]

Makes you wonder if they will think about reducing public transport costs. It would be useful for residents and visitors to London, especially when driving is out of the equation. Does make you wonder why they decided to have the Olympics here, when the events are scattered far and wide

[alexxxxx]

Well why not use our roads like the rest of us have to? why should politicians and their rich friends be allowed to use our roads free of charge going to the event that we paid for while we are all stuck in the congested roads that the politicians here have failed to sort out - maybe if they do not like the state of the roads they should have spent the billions they have spent on this silly sporting event to build more roads - that afterall is what we pay taxes for.

it's not a bloody permanent thing! Why does the queen get a police escort? I don't know whether you've ever been to london, but it is BUSY at the best of times. Just get over it.

We do not pay taxes for an expensive and over-the-top sporting event that lasts a few weeks, and at the end leaving us with a costly stadium that will be rarely used (if not at all judging by past examples) and a mountain of debt.

The 2012 olympics will be used as a platform to show off what is good about britain to the world, the media will come and show off the rest of the UK and to promote our country to business and tourism - which could pay it all off. Not to mention the large number (thousands, millions) of tourists who will be in london and the UK at the time spending all their money.

If you watch the news you'll hear of the football clubs wanting to buy the main stadium or rent it. The past example i guess is greece - who can't organise or plan a thing.

Not to mention the prestige of hosting the olympics game, the promotion of sport and its health benefits. I'd be willing to say that public support for the olympics is very high.

I'll complain about it because its a large sum of money and the way we [the taxpayer] are being treated is disgraceful. We have people dying because they cannot get cancer drugs, we have roads congested - our country is falling apart and is under strain by a massive amount of debt yet our politicians still see no problem in splashing billions and billions on a useless sporting event that will only serve to expand their own egos and treat their friends to a nice few weeks in the VIP boxes.

LOL you're going a bit over the top with the 'political elite' crap. The country is not falling apart by any means and the debt is nominal compared to the risks with the banks.

Then to top that off, we are the ones who will be sitting in our cars on congested roads while the politicians whizz past to see the games we paid for.

Take public transport - which has been upgraded for the games.

Yeah I do, and I hope everybody sitting in their cars on the congested roads also get pissed off and all ignore the road closure which would be fantastic. It is time we stopped serving the elite and they serve us like they are supposed to.

Vote the millionaires of UKIP.

Because it is political clever clogs - its being closed for politicians. Exactly on your second point; i'm in Liverpool yet my family and millions of other families are paying for this total waste which none of us will get to go and see and all it is is just another reason for the politicians to be treated to a nice banquet, expand their own egos and be treated as royalty.

In your opinion it is a waste.

[-:Undertaker:-]

it's not a bloody permanent thing! Why does the queen get a police escort? I don't know whether you've ever been to london, but it is BUSY at the best of times. Just get over it.

The Queen gets a police escort because she is the head of state, she does not get main roads & motorways closed off so she can go along the road faster than the rest of us - nobody should have priority over the roads, especially not because of their status.

The 2012 olympics will be used as a platform to show off what is good about britain to the world, the media will come and show off the rest of the UK and to promote our country to business and tourism - which could pay it all off. Not to mention the large number (thousands, millions) of tourists who will be in london and the UK at the time spending all their money.

What utter nonsense; 'platform to show off what is good about britain to the world' - that doesn't even mean anything. If you want to improve business, then maybe the £12bn+ spent on the Olympics could have been used to give business a tax break or even give the ordinary people of this country a tax break rather than spending more than you will ever get in return and the small return you do get will be centred down in London.

This Olympics is costing every single person in this country roughly around £2,000 each - I won't get to see it, I won't be having a ticket free of charge like Herman Van Rompuy, Tony Blair and the rest of the worlds cronies are - so why on earth should I and the millions of other people in this country who couldn't give a hoot about the Olympics pay for it?

As for you being concerned for the welfare of business, come off it.

If you watch the news you'll hear of the football clubs wanting to buy the main stadium or rent it. The past example i guess is greece - who can't organise or plan a thing.

China are also struggling to use their stadium - all that money spent on a few weeks worth of sport and a fancy stadium for a minor league football club - what a total and utter waste. If concerned about sporting in this country, how many playgrounds & parks could have been built with the billions spent on this stadium and entertainment for the rich and powerful? it has nothing to do with sport as they try and make out hence why they sell off our wonderful parks year on year, its about extending their own ego and handing our contracts.

Not to mention the prestige of hosting the olympics game, the promotion of sport and its health benefits. I'd be willing to say that public support for the olympics is very high.

See above, nothing at all to do with the promotion of sport.

LOL you're going a bit over the top with the 'political elite' crap. The country is not falling apart by any means and the debt is nominal compared to the risks with the banks.

Sorry but it is the elite, why should roads be closed off for politicians and 'VIPs' who will no doubt include the politicians best friends, the mega rich and famous. That is elitism.

Take public transport - which has been upgraded for the games.

The thing is, I and many other people in this country will not be going to the Games because we have no interest in it/we cannot afford it - so why should we be interrupted (along with business) on the already congested roads that we alone pay for have to sit in hot cars while the super rich and politicians whizz past in their special Zil lane all because they are powerful/friends of the politicians?

It is not on.

Vote the millionaires of UKIP.

Lmao, you make it out as though its the richest party on Earth.

But you see this is the difference because my rant isnt about money, UKIP don't drive around in Zil lanes demanding the roads be shut now do they? I have no problem with people being rich and powerful, but what annoys me is this liberal elitism that runs in this country and around Europe. The same can be seen (since we are going to digs) in the fact that a large portion of unelected EU pencil pushers are on more than both Prime Minister Cameron and President Obama.

In your opinion it is a waste.

No it is a waste, it loses money and provides next to no benefits = a total waste of money at a time when we have no money left.

[Geraint]

Build new roads in London? Yeah, good idea that, let's just knock down some houses, shops, businesses for some roads. More congestion will encourage people to use public transport which is what they want to do. They'll probably congestion charge people to get some money too.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Build new roads in London? Yeah, good idea that, let's just knock down some houses, shops, businesses for some roads. More congestion will encourage people to use public transport which is what they want to do. They'll probably congestion charge people to get some money too.

Our roads are too small and for an expanding population that is sadly what you have to do - its common sense. As for public transport being used more if the roads are congested, well going by that theory our roads wouldn't be congested right now. Most people commute to London and car is the best method of transport for those who live in the rual suburbs surrounding London. If people pay their taxes for new roads and for things this country needs (which is new roads) then they should get new roads or have that tax cut.

[MrPinkPanther]

Firstly no they don't pay taxes but the olympics will generate vast amounts of money for our countries economy in the long term. Far higher than the Olympics cost.

Secondly you are wrong. It's not a £5000 fine, it's UP TO a £5000 fine for challenging the ruling like it is with many other offences because you end up paying court fee's etc.

Thirdly you say they reside in the Olympic village. This is true. But the Olympics are set throughout the UK, not just in London. For example sailing takes place on the coast. Athletes travel around a lot and the other people in this thread are right, we need to show how great the UK is, this won't happen by displaying the wonders of traffic jams. If you have a Guest into your house you don't expect them to do chores even though you may do some yourself, this is the same principle.

Finally you've said these will likely be reserved for people like Tony Blair and Herman Von Rompuy when this is specifically designed for Athletes and Olympic officials. Stopped trying to create a rant out of nothing. It's common sense.