VIP Lanes: Elitist Olympics?

February 28, 2012 by Anastasia Kyriacou in UK Affairs with 8 Comments

VIP lanes reflect the elitist event that the London Olympics has become.

Following Channel 4’s show Dispatches: Olympic Tickets for Sale the other night, significant dispute was sparked about the designated lanes for the Olympic VIP.

With 108 miles of Olympic Route Network roads across London, 35 miles are special lanes designated only to the Olympic “Elite”. Unavailable to the general public and “normal” Olympic attendees throughout the event, the reality of this system of Olympic transportation is pure detriment to the vast majority who contributed to staging the Olympics in the first place; detrimental to taxi’s who claim journey costs will quadruple; detrimental to the London labour force who will have to adjust to endless diversions; and detrimental to every other form of essential transport that keeps London moving. It is impractical, nonsensical, and the irony of it all is that whilst the purpose of the VIP lanes is to increase mobility for the “Olympic Family”, this will certainly come at the cost of the rest of London having to experience relative immobility. With a government and bureaucracy predominantly occupied by those who bare elitist backgrounds, this attitude sadly but clearly seems to have fully infiltrated the Games, symbolised by this act of Olympic transport treachery.

The London Olympic Games is substantially symbolic of the elitist structure of this government. The Games are an expensive business that everybody pays for (contingency fund on behalf of taxpayers estimated to be 974 million pounds), but has seemingly become only available to those who can afford it. By ‘it’ I mean those who can pay not to get picked out of a hat to watch the very best events. With 75% of tickets supposedly on sale to the general public, what failed to be mentioned was the fact that the vast majority of these would not be applicable to the best seats or top events. Those tickets would be sold by companies such as Thomas Cook as £20000+ packages – packages that were said to provide use of the VIP lanes. This scandalous lack of promised tickets deeply and inveterately reflects what the Olympic Games have become; an event ran by money hungry products and slaves of capitalism – a system functioned for the gain of a few coming at the cost of sacrifice for many.

A further significantly frustrating qualm is that whilst England is the unhealthiest country in Europe, one of the biggest fast food giants in the world is the main sponsor for the London Olympic Games. Why? Money. McDonald’s is a main benefactor for the biggest sports event in the world. The London Olympic Games 2012 will cost nearly 10 billion pounds. Fast food is a main benefactor for obesity. The cost of obesity on the NHS per annum amounts to around four billion pounds. The VIP lanes exclude ambulances .Welcome to the First World vicious cycle. Welcome to London’s Elite Olympic Games 2012.

Tagged London Olympics, TfL, VIP lanes

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About Anastasia Kyriacou

Anastasia is reading BA History at the University of Birmingham and is the Amnesty International campaign manager for the University's student group.

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The Pink PantherFebruary 29, 2012 at 12:19 amReply

Isn't this all a bit overly polemic and lacking in objectivity or long-term considerations?

Where is the balanced consideration of the benefits that the Olympics will bring? Or are there none?

Anastasia KyriacouFebruary 29, 2012 at 12:41 amReply

The purpose of this article is to highlight a particular injustice of the 2012 Olympics, not to outweigh its pros and cons. I am not criticising the Olympic games in general (it is an excellent sporting event!), I am merely emphasising the unnecessary negative externalities that have been created as a result of it, i.e. these VIP lanes that will only benefit the vast minority whilst the vast majority will suffer.

It's the VIP lanes that I am saying are elitist and unnecessary, not the actual Games.

Anastasia KyriacouFebruary 29, 2012 at 12:44 amReply

In terms of its seemingly polemic nature, I just don't like to sugar coat the truth. I'm just saying it how it is, with perhaps a louder voice…

Anastasia KyriacouFebruary 29, 2012 at 11:31 amReply

Just to clarify, what I am saying is that the London Olympics reflect how elitism has infiltrated the Games and the event has been coated with this elitism.

RaviMarch 11, 2012 at 12:46 amReply

@The Pink Panther:
In agreement with Anastasia here – there is a categorical difference between her criticising the Games themselves and her criticising its delivery and infrastructure.

There is no doubt that the Games will bring benefit, but that is an independent factor from the exclusivity that is embedded within the Games' ticket allocation and privileges handed to the commercial partners.

Surely, if anything, these exclusive lanes will prove detrimental towards the potential benefits the Olympics will bring. London's public transport system is already heaving despite its perpetual improvements. Congestion in London is consistently one of the highest in country despite the now £8/day congestion charge in its most central zones. Come summer, there will be millions more people within the capital adding an increased burden on the buses, a lot of which will have to face increased traffic due to their routes having a lane that will be predominantly empty for most of the time. This will create an incredibly poor perception of London's transport system upon our visitors and might deter their usage of it in the future (and a black cab in the city is not exactly cheap) or even lead them not to visit the capital again due to the chaos presented by the increasingly congested roads.

A dual message lies at the core here with the Mayor and other prominent figures in City Hall boasting about the tube and encouraging everybody to use it (including all ticket-holders who are given a 'free' transport pass for the games) as well as the creation of a new link from Kings Cross to Stratford to get people there in UNDER 7 MINUTES – yet these lanes are being created indicating that such infrastructure clearly is not adequate at all. It is incredibly two-tiered and will bring no benefit to the average visitor.

Much of the talk by the Olympics Committee is about leaving an 'Olympic Legacy'. Some elements of this 'legacy' will fade away or be preferentially forgotten (the horrendous logo, two incredibly non-representative mascots). Some of the Olympic facilities will be of benefit to the local area, providing brand new housing, sports and social facilities to what was otherwise a neglected area of the capital. However the exclusive lanes will leave a very bitter taste in the mouth of majority of the Londoners who were sidelined for the verging-on-sycophantic behaviour of the organisers to please a minority.

RaviMarch 11, 2012 at 1:37 amReply

@The Pink Panther:
I agree with Anastasia here. With regards to your point about benefits of the 2012 games: there is a categorical difference between Anastasia’s criticisms of the infrastructure and delivery of the games and her actually criticising the games themselves. The exclusivity embedded in the ticket allocation and the privileges of the Olympic execs and the 2012 commercial partners is an independent factor of the benefits the games themselves will bring.

With regards to the “long term considerations” you mentioned – I cannot see there being any case for the lanes providing any long term benefit whatsoever. On the contrary, the very creation of the lanes is a short-term, quick-fix. One of the many things you hear the Olympic Committee talk about is the Olympic Legacy that it will leave. Undoubtedly there will be major economic and social benefits of the games; namely the boost in tourism and their spending as well as the addition of new housing (from the Olympic Village), sports facilities and social recreational areas created by the Games in an otherwise neglected part of the capital. These lanes, however, will have long vanished shortly after the Paralympic games that follow the Olympics. Indeed some other aspects created specifically for the Olympic legacy will be preferentially forgotten (the disastrous 2012 logo and our mascots which don’t represent anything about London/England/Britain or the Games at all!).

You will frequently hear the Mayor and those prominent in City Hall boast about London’s public transport system – namely the Underground. However the veins of London’s entire transport grid are heavily congested – the roads (despite the £8/day congestion charge + sky high parking prices), the tube and overground – despite their seemingly perpetual state of being worked upon to modernise and improve them. Come summer, there will be an added burden on the public transport with millions of international visitors here to see the games and explore London. They will see increasingly congested roads, full of traffic jams at peak times – with adjacent lanes that will be completely empty for the majority of the time. This could deter use of the buses in the future (and a black cab isn’t exactly cheap in the capital) or even deter future visits to the city.

Furthermore, daily commuters are being advised to commute to work earlier and then leave home later (BoJo advised people to hang about in the pub for an hour or so after work to reduce the strain on the system during the games). The lanes will only add to the pressure on the roads and shall leave a bitter taste in the mouth of the average visitor and common Londoner. The boasting of the amazing tube service (for which all ticket-holders will be given a ‘free’ London transport pass for the Games) and a brand new link from Kings Cross to Stratford (Olympic Site) which takes UNDER 9 MINUTES is frequently mentioned – yet the creation of these lanes is showing this is clearly not adequate. It is incredibly two-tiered and has no lasting benefit for anybody.

AnonymousMarch 12, 2012 at 12:31 pmReply

well done for highlighting these inequalities!

JamesMarch 12, 2012 at 12:33 pmReply

Whilst I disagree with the lanes around London, surely shouldn't we expect some of the tickets to be preferentially given to the businesses that sponsor the olympics? It pretty much is almost a given of the commercial society we live in today.

8 Comments

The Pink PantherFebruary 29, 2012 at 12:19 amReply

Isn't this all a bit overly polemic and lacking in objectivity or long-term considerations?

Where is the balanced consideration of the benefits that the Olympics will bring? Or are there none?
Anastasia KyriacouFebruary 29, 2012 at 12:41 amReply

The purpose of this article is to highlight a particular injustice of the 2012 Olympics, not to outweigh its pros and cons. I am not criticising the Olympic games in general (it is an excellent sporting event!), I am merely emphasising the unnecessary negative externalities that have been created as a result of it, i.e. these VIP lanes that will only benefit the vast minority whilst the vast majority will suffer.

It's the VIP lanes that I am saying are elitist and unnecessary, not the actual Games.
Anastasia KyriacouFebruary 29, 2012 at 12:44 amReply

In terms of its seemingly polemic nature, I just don't like to sugar coat the truth. I'm just saying it how it is, with perhaps a louder voice…
Anastasia KyriacouFebruary 29, 2012 at 11:31 amReply

Just to clarify, what I am saying is that the London Olympics reflect how elitism has infiltrated the Games and the event has been coated with this elitism.
RaviMarch 11, 2012 at 12:46 amReply

@The Pink Panther:
In agreement with Anastasia here – there is a categorical difference between her criticising the Games themselves and her criticising its delivery and infrastructure.

There is no doubt that the Games will bring benefit, but that is an independent factor from the exclusivity that is embedded within the Games' ticket allocation and privileges handed to the commercial partners.

Surely, if anything, these exclusive lanes will prove detrimental towards the potential benefits the Olympics will bring. London's public transport system is already heaving despite its perpetual improvements. Congestion in London is consistently one of the highest in country despite the now £8/day congestion charge in its most central zones. Come summer, there will be millions more people within the capital adding an increased burden on the buses, a lot of which will have to face increased traffic due to their routes having a lane that will be predominantly empty for most of the time. This will create an incredibly poor perception of London's transport system upon our visitors and might deter their usage of it in the future (and a black cab in the city is not exactly cheap) or even lead them not to visit the capital again due to the chaos presented by the increasingly congested roads.

A dual message lies at the core here with the Mayor and other prominent figures in City Hall boasting about the tube and encouraging everybody to use it (including all ticket-holders who are given a 'free' transport pass for the games) as well as the creation of a new link from Kings Cross to Stratford to get people there in UNDER 7 MINUTES – yet these lanes are being created indicating that such infrastructure clearly is not adequate at all. It is incredibly two-tiered and will bring no benefit to the average visitor.

Much of the talk by the Olympics Committee is about leaving an 'Olympic Legacy'. Some elements of this 'legacy' will fade away or be preferentially forgotten (the horrendous logo, two incredibly non-representative mascots). Some of the Olympic facilities will be of benefit to the local area, providing brand new housing, sports and social facilities to what was otherwise a neglected area of the capital. However the exclusive lanes will leave a very bitter taste in the mouth of majority of the Londoners who were sidelined for the verging-on-sycophantic behaviour of the organisers to please a minority.
RaviMarch 11, 2012 at 1:37 amReply

@The Pink Panther:
I agree with Anastasia here. With regards to your point about benefits of the 2012 games: there is a categorical difference between Anastasia’s criticisms of the infrastructure and delivery of the games and her actually criticising the games themselves. The exclusivity embedded in the ticket allocation and the privileges of the Olympic execs and the 2012 commercial partners is an independent factor of the benefits the games themselves will bring.

With regards to the “long term considerations” you mentioned – I cannot see there being any case for the lanes providing any long term benefit whatsoever. On the contrary, the very creation of the lanes is a short-term, quick-fix. One of the many things you hear the Olympic Committee talk about is the Olympic Legacy that it will leave. Undoubtedly there will be major economic and social benefits of the games; namely the boost in tourism and their spending as well as the addition of new housing (from the Olympic Village), sports facilities and social recreational areas created by the Games in an otherwise neglected part of the capital. These lanes, however, will have long vanished shortly after the Paralympic games that follow the Olympics. Indeed some other aspects created specifically for the Olympic legacy will be preferentially forgotten (the disastrous 2012 logo and our mascots which don’t represent anything about London/England/Britain or the Games at all!).

You will frequently hear the Mayor and those prominent in City Hall boast about London’s public transport system – namely the Underground. However the veins of London’s entire transport grid are heavily congested – the roads (despite the £8/day congestion charge + sky high parking prices), the tube and overground – despite their seemingly perpetual state of being worked upon to modernise and improve them. Come summer, there will be an added burden on the public transport with millions of international visitors here to see the games and explore London. They will see increasingly congested roads, full of traffic jams at peak times – with adjacent lanes that will be completely empty for the majority of the time. This could deter use of the buses in the future (and a black cab isn’t exactly cheap in the capital) or even deter future visits to the city.

Furthermore, daily commuters are being advised to commute to work earlier and then leave home later (BoJo advised people to hang about in the pub for an hour or so after work to reduce the strain on the system during the games). The lanes will only add to the pressure on the roads and shall leave a bitter taste in the mouth of the average visitor and common Londoner. The boasting of the amazing tube service (for which all ticket-holders will be given a ‘free’ London transport pass for the Games) and a brand new link from Kings Cross to Stratford (Olympic Site) which takes UNDER 9 MINUTES is frequently mentioned – yet the creation of these lanes is showing this is clearly not adequate. It is incredibly two-tiered and has no lasting benefit for anybody.
AnonymousMarch 12, 2012 at 12:31 pmReply

well done for highlighting these inequalities!
JamesMarch 12, 2012 at 12:33 pmReply

Whilst I disagree with the lanes around London, surely shouldn't we expect some of the tickets to be preferentially given to the businesses that sponsor the olympics? It pretty much is almost a given of the commercial society we live in today.