Firms urged to put day 3 in their diaries – first Monday of the Games and one of the busiest for business.

Bankers, lawyers and retailers are leading the charge when it comes to preparing for the transport challenges posed by the London 2012 Games, according to new figures from London 2012 and Transport for London (TfL). Employers are being urged to follow their lead by putting travel plans in place ahead of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Mark Evers, Director of Games Transport at TfL: "Day three of the Olympics is one of the most important days for employers. It’s the first Monday of the Games, when employers and employees will feel the effects of the increased demand on the transport network."

Site-Specific Advice

The Site-Specific Advice (SSA) programme, part of a free Travel Advice for Business support package to help British businesses run smoothly in the run up to, and during, the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, is available to firms located in an area affected by the Games and that employ over 200 staff. The free one-to-one travel advice sessions help organisations plan for next summer, when increased demand caused by the Games will see transport networks severely affected and much busier than usual. Run by London 2012 and TfL, the sessions cover:

- Optimising deliveries, servicing and freight
- Planning staff business travel during busy periods
- Forecasting customer and visitor movements during the Games
- Tips to help firms maintain service continuity
- Sharing best practice: assessing what firms are already doing

In addition to SSA, the package consists of 50 travel advice workshops for SMEs. Furthermore, over 100 one-to-one sessions are available for multi-site businesses, which include retail outlets and restaurant chains.

Plan ahead

In total, over 200 firms across London, which account for over 370,000 employees, have signed up for the travel advice sessions. In the last six weeks alone, there has been a 100 per cent increase in sign-ups as firms begin to ramp up their preparations ahead of the Games.

Hugh Sumner, Director of Transport for the Olympic Delivery Authority, said: "We have seen strong interest in Site Specific Advice from London’s big business community, which bodes well for their ability to cope with the impact on day three and through the Games. The banking and finance sector has been especially responsive. With just a year to go until the Games, I urge all businesses, big and small, to visit the website, see if they’re affected and plan ahead to keep on running during the summer of 2012."