Transport for London (TfL) is to provide a problem solving Travel Hub to help improve the transport experience of delegates during the four-day WTM 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 WTM.
Should any problems arise, the Hub can act to minimise potential disruption, 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.”
Further nitiatives and improvements include:
• World Travel Market introducing 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.
Docklands Light Railway to increase the frequency of peak trains to every three minutes
• The re-opening of Tower Gateway Station which will help ease congestion at Canning Town.
• River Thames commuter boat operator Thames Clippers 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 take people to WTM
• Transport information will be displayed on screens in ExCeL - London’s Central Boulevard to help WTM participants plan their journeys
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.”