Overseas media covering the 2012 Olympics will be housed in hotels in downtown London instead of purpose built media “villages” like they had in Beijing.

The five thousand journalists and photographers will stay in hotels in Bloomsbury a cultural part of the city close to the British Museum, Soho theatre district and the Covent Garden Opera House.

Covent Garden is also home to one of London’s Walkabout Clubs, one of the few venues showing this week’s State of Origin Rugby League clash live on television. It is sure to be popular with Australian media and athletes keen to watch the AFL and Rugby during the Games period.

“We are creating a press hub in the heart of London so they can experience the culture and vibe of the city” a spokesperson for the London Organising Committee (LOCOG) said.

“Transport will be a challenge but we have twelve million transport journeys in London each day and our system will cope”.

Special buses will be provided for media which will run on lanes designated for Olympic vehicles only.

A new rail service on London’s Underground called the “Javelin” will get the media and the public attending the Games from Kings Cross/St Pancras Station to the Olympic Park at Stratford in just seven minutes.

Journalists attending the first World Press Briefing in London this week quizzed LOCOG about security following the horrific bombings on the London Underground in 2005. They were assured the British Government has security measures in place to protect people attending the Games.

“The Home Office has set up a dedicated team to handle security on trains and buses” LOCOG’s transport expert told the conference.

“We continue to work with the security authorities” he said. He was confident there would be no strikes by public transport unions during the Olympics.

“We have signed a principle of co-operation with the unions to avoid strikes” he said.” Besides all the drivers are really keen to see the events”.

Mike Tancred
London