SPICE GIRLS TO PERFORM ON TAXIS AT OLYMPICS CLOSING CEREMONY

The Spice Girls will perform on top of London taxis at Sunday’s Olympic Games Closing Ceremony, as the girlband’s one-off reunion has been confirmed.

Today’s tabloids show photos of the five women, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm, Melanie Brown and Victoria Beckham, each on top of a taxi in rehearsals for the weekend show.

The ‘Wannabe’ stars have long been rumoured to be reuniting for the show, with Victoria Beckham recently sharing a photo of a microphone on Twitter. However, the girlband are now confirmed for the show alongside fellow ceremony performers, Muse.

Yesterday Muse shared a photo on Twitter of Matt Bellamy rehearsing for the show. The photo saw Matt Bellamy leading a procession of men painted gold and wearing giant drums on their heads.

Recent rumours suggest reclusive British star Kate Bush will take part in the closing ceremony, although her appearance has not been confirmed. Other bands and artists confirmed in the same tabloid report are Queen, Jessie J, Tinie Tempah, Annie Lennox and the Pet Shop Boys.

London 2012: More than 2,000 drivers slapped with Games Lanes fines

Over 2,000 driver have been hit with £130 fines for using the Games Lanes, according to transport officials.

The 30 miles (48km) of lanes, used to transport athletes, officials and the media, were brought in on July 25 and for the first six days only warnings were issued while drivers became used to the system, said Transport for London (TfL).

But some 2,400 fines, totalling £312,000, have been issued since the start of the month, TfL figures show.

Transport chiefs insisted the introduction of the lanes had “gone well”, with a 98% compliance rate and 150 signs letting drivers know when they could and could not use the lanes.

Garrett Emmerson, TfL’s chief operating officer for surface transport, said: “Games Lanes are of vital importance to get athletes, officials and the world’s media to their events on time. We are using the lanes flexibly and keeping them open to general traffic wherever and whenever we can.”

He added: “We have no interest in unnecessarily penalising drivers and, with a very high compliance rate of around 98% to date, the overwhelming majority are following the requirement to stay out of Games Lanes when they are in use.

“We are now issuing PCNs (penalty charge notices) to drivers who contravene the ORN (Olympic Route Network), but will continue to be proportionate and sensible; we’re seeking compliance from drivers, not income from fines. To date, some 2,400 PCNs have been issued.”

SOURCE: The Independent

London 2012: Olympic bosses admit to hiring too many helpers

Olympics bosses have said that they have taken on too many unpaid volunteers for the Games.

In particular, they have been “astonished” by the low demand from VIPs for volunteer-chauffeured cars. So few of the BMWs are being used that many of the 9,000 drivers have been left twiddling their thumbs for large parts of their 10-hour shifts.

After complaining to bosses, many are now being given days off so they can fill empty seats in venues and enjoy the sporting action.

Some 70,000 people became Games Makers, with roles from stewarding crowds to mopping the handballs courts. A source said that while the vast majority were content, more than 100 did not turn up for their second shift, frustrated with the nature of their work.

A role as a volunteer driver was seen as one of the most prestigious tasks, with several days of training given on how to meet and greet clients and navigate the Olympic Route Network.

Last week Richard George, director of transport at Locog, sent an email to drivers who take VIPs from hotels to venues. He wrote: “I think it is fair to say that we have been astonished at how low the demand for our services have been so far … We are therefore now looking at additional roles in which you can be employed so your valuable time is used to best effect.”

He added: “We will build on some of the feedback you gave me — that most of you would prefer to have ‘days’ off rather than shorter shifts … I get that completely — somewhere out there is some great sport to watch!!”

The lack of use of official cars is likely to raise questions on the need for the Games lanes of the Olympic Route Network which are reserved for vehicles on Games business.

SOURCE: The Independant

Fastest way to get to London’s Olympic Park? Car, train, taxi, bus and bicycle compete

By NBC News staff

LONDON — For months, London has been gripped by fear of transport gridlock during the Olympics. So NBC News decided to find out just what was the best way to get about the city, notorious for its near stationary traffic and packed, sweltering subway trains.

We chose five different methods of travel: car, train, taxi, the city’s famous red double-decker buses and bicycle.

Our mission was to travel from Piccadilly Circus in central London to the Olympic Park in Stratford, East London.

At noon last Monday local time, the five of us set off with video cameras to record our attempts to make it in time for the men’s 10-meter synchronized diving at 3 p.m.

For some it was a simple, pleasant journey. For others, it was an experience to forget.

Here are our stories:

Car driver Peter Jeary: ‘You’ll never get parked’
To be honest, no one in their right mind would drive from central London to Stratford even on the best of days — let alone during the Olympics. It was, however, much less stressful than expected.  

The pinch point around Trafalgar Square is always bad; it took me about 20 minutes to travel half a mile. The Olympic Lane [for athletes, officials] was often tantalizingly empty as I sat nose-to-tail in traffic.

One moment of crisis was when a London cab (naturally!) decided to drop a passenger in the only lane open to traffic. Could I sneak past, with just two wheels in the Olympic Lane? As the cars in front did, I decided to as well. Time will tell if I get a £130 fine ($203) in the mail.

Finding somewhere to park was a nightmare. In the interests of full disclosure — I parked in a timed zone that would have expired just as the first competitors touched the water. So even if you do try driving — don’t! You’ll never get parked.

Time: One hour 30 minutes

Cyclist Jim Seida: ‘No better way’
On a warm, sunny day, there is no better way to navigate the streets of London than on a bicycle.

As you pedal the tangled web that is central London, the sounds of languages and smells of foods from around the world become part of your point A to point B experience, making it just that, an experience, a journey, and any moment on the bike becomes about that journey, not just time passing by on your way to your destination.   

For this trip, though, from Piccadilly Circus to Stratford, trying to focus on where to go and when to turn impacted my usual enjoyment of the international experience I’ve come to enjoy over the past week.

Sure, I still got to squeeze between double-decker buses with only inches to spare, and I got to dodge pedestrians as they crossed against the light, but doing these things one handed on a bicycle while trying to navigate via an iPhone with the other is, well, a bit awesome.

There is no better way to go.  If we had to do it all over again, I’d still take a bike; and I think if we did it during rush hour I’d smoke ’em all.

Time: 48 minutes

 

Taxi passenger Ian Johnston: ‘It seemed like I’d won’
It took me about 20 seconds to find one of London’s famous black taxi cabs after the five of us separated in Piccadilly Circus.

My driver, Steve, a cabbie of 19 years’ experience and a native Londoner, was great, regaling me with stories about the time he had actor Roger Moore, rock star Noel Gallagher and other celebrities in his taxi while performing neat u-turns and avoiding traffic effectively by using side streets.

We hit a bit of traffic initially but then caught Jim Seida as he stood at the side of the road looking a bit puzzled about which direction to go. Jim slipped away again through the traffic, but soon Steve found roads that were really quiet for London and we started making good progress. I started to feel confident.

Alastair Jamieson sent a text saying he was about to board one of the speedy Javelin trains to the Olympic Park, but moments later we saw our first glimpse of our target destination. It was definitely going to be close.

As we got to the venue, police stopped Steve from parking in what seemed to be a good dropping-off point and directed him to the taxi rank, wasting a few vital minutes. I thanked Steve profusely, paid the $43 bill and dodged through the crowds at a fast walk. I arrived at the entrance and couldn’t see any of the others. It seemed like I’d won, then I spotted Alastair standing at another entrance. He’d come from a different direction, so I went across to ask when he’d arrived.

Time: 43 minutes

Bus passenger Jamieson Lesko: Faster if I’d ran
I’ve never been a bus rider, so at the start of this journey, I wondered if I’ve been underestimating the ‘Big Reds’ all this time. But unfortunately, it turns out that I’ve not been too hard on them. Double decker = double time.  

It took me one minute shy of two hours to get from Piccadilly Circus to Stratford.

If I’ve done my math correctly, it would have been a faster trip if I’d jogged the whole way!

For visitors to London, the benefit of the bus is that you get a comfortable seat and scenic tour of the many sites there are to enjoy… but, if you’ve got a ticket for the Games or are on any kind of schedule, take the tube, grab a cab, or put on your sneakers and hoof it over to the venue!

Time: One hour 59 minutes

And the winner is: train passenger Alastair Jamieson
The official London 2012 website journey planner said public transport, using a combination of tube train and high-speed rail link, would be the fastest route for our trip. 

And so it proved — but only just.

My trip took 42 minutes —  five minutes under the website’s estimate — but was almost beaten by the cab.

London’s underground system, whose oldest section dates from 1863, when Abraham Lincoln was president, was an immediate concern for Games organizers.

Black cab rival hits the streets

The traditional London cab under threat from new van-based Nissan that’s more spacious, comfortable and ‘green’.

Nissan’s vision of a how a new generation of Lonndon black cab should be was unveiled today, after positive receptions in Tokyo and New York.

The Japanese company’s NV200 is claimed to be more affordable and up to 50 per cent more fuel-efficient than the existing black cab, with commensurate reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide.

An all-electric e-NV200 concept is also set to undergo trials in the capital next year.

Taxi versions of the NV200 have already been unveiled in Tokyo and it has also been chosen as the New York City “taxi of tomorrow”.

The Nissan NV200 London Taxi is based on the company’s multi-purpose NV200 compact van. It seats five adults, with three on a rear bench and two on rear-facing, fold-down seats. The front passenger seat has been removed to create space for luggage, while sliding doors either side are said to be easy to open and close.

The taxi’s 1.5-litre diesel engine develops 89bhp achieves 53.3mpg on the official ED Combined fuel consumption cycle when combined with a six-speed manual gearbox. Nissan says that the existing TX4 traditional black cab manages only 35.3mpg in the same test.

The engine complies with Euro V emissions regulations and emits 139g/km of CO2, compared with 209g/km from the lowest polluting TX4, says Nissan. More importantly, the harmful NOx and PM (particulate) gases on which authorities are seeking particular improvement in “clean air” legislation, would be reduced by an estimated 135 metric tonnes and 20 metric tonnes per year.

Steve McNamara, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, said: “Nissan already has a great footing in the London taxi market. The 2.7-litre diesel that featured in some of the early taxis was one of the greatest engines ever put in a cab. From what I’ve seen of the NV200 London Taxi, it’s important that it looks like a cab, is comfortable with good ingress and egress and is reliable. If the fuel consumption figures are as promised, it will be a big seller.”

A particular focus was also placed on providing for passengers with mobility issues. Alan Norton, from Assist UK, said: “We are proud to be associated with Nissan in the development of an accessible taxi to meet the needs of all disabled people. The work is ongoing and future refinements are planned after the initial launch, as many ideas have been discussed and are currently undergoing development.”

Subject to final testing, including a crash-test, the diesel-powered Nissan NV200 should receive full London Taxi certification later this year.

Source: The Telegraph