Ministers 'to use Olympic lanes'

The Evening Standard has reported that taxi drivers have criticised proposals for several ministers to use the Olympic 'Zil' lanes. Jonathan Myers, press officer for the United Cabbies Group, said:

A government spokesman has defended proposals to allow several ministers to use the Olympic lanes during the Games, according to the Evening Standard. The spokesman said:

The Evening Standard has reported that several ministers will be given special privileges to use the Olympic lanes during the Games. These include:

• Prime Minister David Cameron
• Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg
• Chancellor George Osborne
• Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt
• Home Secretary Theresa May
• Foreign Secretary William Hague
• Defence Secretary Philip Hammond
• Olympics minister Hugh Robertson
• Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson

The Evening Standard is reporting that a select group of government ministers are to be allowed to use the Olympic “Zil” lanes.

Earl Atlee, a government spokesman in the Lords, confirmed that some ministers would be able to use the lanes “on the advice of the security services” but added “that will apply to very few ministers indeed”.

London bus workers have voted to accept an offer of an Olympics bonus, ending the threat of another strike. The Unite union said workers will get an average of £577 in recognition of the "massive increase" in workload over the Games.

Peter Kavanagh, Unite's regional secretary for London, said: "After almost a year-long campaign, bus workers finally have a fair deal which recognises their contribution to keeping London moving over the Olympics."

Cyclists should be able to use dedicated Olympic traffic lanes, a cross-party group of MPs demanded today.

Cyclists are among road users banned from London's so-called Zil lanes, available only to Olympics officials, athletes and other approved vehicles.

But MPs from across the political divide called on Transport for London (TfL) to allow cyclists to use the lanes without the threat of a £130 fine.

They tabled a Commons early day motion (EDM) claiming the exclusion would lead to traffic jams and deter Londoners from cycling to work.

Tube services were badly disrupted this morning - just days before the start of the Olympics.

A late finish to engineering work meant severe delays to those using the Circle and District lines during rush hour.

Yesterday a fire alert at Charing Cross Underground station led to a part-suspension of the Bakerloo line and delays continued throughout the day.There were also rush-hour delays today to London-bound main line services operated by the Southern train company due to a broken-down train.

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The Metropolitan Police have confirmed they have been asked to enforce the Olympic Games lane on the M4.

The 3.5-mile stretch came into operation on Monday as competitors and officials started arriving at Heathrow Airport.

Transport for London insists it wants to penalise as few motorists as possible.

Neither ministers or peers will be able to benefit from using the Olympic traffic lanes created to speed athletes and officials through London, the House of Lords was told.

Transport spokesman Earl Attlee warned that it would be "extremely unwise" for members of the Upper House to think they could use the Olympic lanes. He said they would be policed in the same way as bus lanes, adding: "So it's not something I would recommend."

Lord Attlee also assured Opposition spokesman Lord Davies of Oldham that ministers did not have "any privileges" with regard to use of the games lanes.