World Travel Market, the premier global event for the travel industry, has secured a Transport for London (TfL) problem solving Travel Hub to help improve the transport experience of delegates during the four-day event.
The ‘Hub’, which will be situated at Canning Town Station, assesses the wider issues on the transport network which may affect routes to and from World Travel Market (Monday November 9 to Thursday November 12).
Should there be any problems that may affect routes to World Travel Market, the Hub can act to minimise any potential distribution, while also improving communication with TfL officials at Canning Town.
TfL Travel Hubs are only employed for major events, demonstrating the importance of World Travel Market. The last time a Travel Hub was employed at Canning Town station was for the G20 at ExCeL – London in April.
World Travel Market Exhibition Director Craig Moyes said: “I am delighted TfL has agreed to introduce a Transport Hub at Canning Town for this year’s World Travel Market.
“It shows how seriously TfL takes World Travel Market and that it’s committed to avoiding the disruption of last year’s event. It also demonstrates the lobbying and hard work World Travel Market has put in throughout the past 11 months to improve the future transport experience.”
The Travel Hub alongside a whole host of other travel initiatives and improvements will ease transport congestion to World Travel Market this year, following transport issues in 2008 caused by a number of separate incidents on the London Underground and Docklands Light Railway.
Initiatives and improvements include;
– World Travel Market introducing a coach transfer services from eight key London hotels
– WTM’s bus transfer operation between Canning Town Station and ExCeL – London being expanded with Bendy Buses increasing the capacity by 65 people per bus. In 2008 Double Decker buses were in operation, the capacity of which were only 85 people compared to 150 people for the Bendy Buses. Bendy Buses are easier for people to get on and off helping to improve the service further
– Furthermore, the Docklands Light Railway has promised to increase the frequency of peak trains for the full four days of the WTM to every three minutes
– The re-opening of Tower Gateway Station will help to ease congestion at Canning Town Station, by allowing people to commence their DLR journey from an earlier station
– River Thames commuter boat operator Thames Clippers is also increasing the frequency of its catamarans from every 15 minutes in 2008 to every 10 minutes for this year’s event. The catamarans pick delegates up from a number of piers along the Thames and drop them off at Canary Wharf where buses will take people to WTM
– Transport information will be displayed on screens in ExCeL – London’s Central Boulevard to help WTM participants plan their journeys
– Custom House Station staff will also use a public address system to improve communication with commuters
– WTM is introducing a clearly signposted walking route from Canning Town Station to give visitors an alternative route to and from the event
“WTM has done all it can to improve the transport experience of its delegates for this year’s event,” Moyes added. “From the moment the problems arose at WTM 2008, we were contacting influential people and organisations to solve the issues and to attempt to make sure they do not occur again”
Following last year’s transport problems, WTM wrote to a number of influential individuals and organisations to lobby for their support to avoid similar issues at future WTMs.
These influential people and organisations included:
Barbara Follett UK Minister for Tourism
Boris Johnson Major of London
Baroness Anelay President of WTM Advisory Council and Conservative Party Chief Whip
Baroness Valentine London First
Stephen Hammond Shadow Minister for Transport
Kevin Murphy CEO ExCeL – London
In addition, an operationally focused working party meets regularly to assess the latest transport situation.
The working party is made up of the following stakeholders:
World Travel Market
ExCeL – London
Transport for London
Secro DLR
London Underground
Visit London
