Diamond Jubilee Doubles as Olympics Test

(ATR) London 2012 faces a crucial test in security, transport and spectator flows this weekend as the city becomes the focus for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

More than two million visitors are expected to come to the capital over the four-day weekend. Sunday willbring theclosure ofmany bridges, roads and tube stations for the river pageant and celebration on the Thames.

Plenty of advertisements have been beamed around the city warning people to plan their journeys ahead of time to avoid congestion, similar to the ones warning of congestion at the Games this summer.

Peter Hendy, Transport for London's transport commissioner, advised that motorists avoid the city pretty much altogether.

"Road closures and bus diversions will mean that some people have to travel in different ways – particularly on the Sunday," he said.

"Due to a number of road and bridge closures, motorists are advised particularly to avoid central London for all but essential journeys on that day."

This will then be a good chance to see how the much-talked-about London transport network copes with huge numbers of passengers. However, when asked what Olympic organizers could learn from the weekend’s festivities, LOCOG refused to comment.

In terms of security, the Metropolitan Police is laying on its biggest-ever royal security operation. A total of 7,000 stewards will control the one million people expected to line the river banks for the 1,000-boat pageant.

Organizers warned that anyone wishing to witness the pageant, which begins at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday at Chelsea Bridge, should arrive at least three hours in advance to secure a space by the river.

On Monday evening, a special Diamond Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace features a performance from Paul McCartney.

London held an early but successful dress rehearsal for the event Friday with more than 2,000 personnel from the Army, Navy and RAF lining Whitehall and The Mall from 4 a.m. They cleared the way for 170 troopers on horseback to process from Parliament to Buckingham Palace.

The rehearsal focused on Tuesday’s parade, which will culminate at 3:30 p.m. with a balcony appearance by the Queen and a Royal Air Force fly-past.

Around 2,000 street parties are expected to take place up and down the country over the weekend. LOCOG may want to take notice on how the celebrations galvanize the public, as a recent opinion poll found that more Britons were looking forward to the Jubilee celebrations than the biggest sporting event in the world.

Reported by Christian Radnedge

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