London 2012 Olympics: Boris Johnson's 'hello folks' travel chaos warnings axed from London Transport

 
Election pledge: Boris Johnson said he would make Tube more reliable

Boris Johnson’s recorded warnings of Olympic congestion on the Tube have been dropped after forecasts of overcrowding proved unfounded.

Transport chiefs today insisted that the decision was planned in advance - but it comes amid concerns that transport warnings were exaggerated and had turned central London into a “ghosttown”.

Transport for London said there had been no pressure from politicians or the tourist or retail trade to tone down the messaging.

Commuters will no longer hear the mayor’s travel advice that there would be “huge pressure” on the system during the games after it was ceased yesterday a at the end of a difficult start with the opening ceremony, the cycle road races and the first working day of the Games on Monday.

Commuters will be reminded of the attractions of London’s nightlife and cultural highlights.

Motorists will continue during the Games to be urged to avoid driving into central London and near Olympic venues.

Warnings of Olympic transport misery have been partly blamed on a downturn in retail and tourist trade.

Foreign visitors are down by as much as 50pc to 150,000 this month according to estimates by the European Tour Operators Association; the number of Tower of London visitors is down 56 per cent on last year and the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association describe central London as a “ghost town”.

While West End trade suffers, business in the Olympic park is booming with Westfield Stratford City reporting a strong Olympic dividend.

A TfL spokesman denied there had been any pressure to tone down the message, adding: “As part of an integrated campaign we have always reminded people to visit central London and all it has to offer - we just wanted people to plan ahead and avoid the hotspots.”

Introduced in the weeks before the games, the mayor’s message said: “We’re welcoming more than a million people a day to our city and there is going to be huge pressure on the transport network. Don’t get caught out. Get online and plan your journey.”

Sandy Davison, 24, an economist from Victoria, said: “I found them pretty annoying. His voice at that time in the morning is a bit much and they are pretty frequent. I heard them three or four times a morning.

“They didn’t serve a purpose that I could see. It doesn’t seem to be very busy. The new messages will be better, at least then it will be an improvement rather than being random.”

Rakesh Yadav, 29, from Welling, said: “On my route on Southeastern it is not very busy at the moment. From Welling to Victoria where I go daily it is not crowded at all, though we do get crowds at peak hours in the evenings.

“I think the messages help people know where to go and plan their journey. Not everyone can access the TfL website without knowing where it is.

“But it is not that busy now so I don’t think it will be a big problem that they are not there.”

Another commuter, Heather from Victoria, said: “I think they are quite funny but my husband usually swears very vociferously when he hears them, which makes people laugh more than the messages do.

“Getting some messages is better than none, but it has not been that busy."

Today he played down suggestions that his warnings over transport chaos had prompted an Olympics-related mini recession in the capital.

He was speaking at an event in Victoria Park after Transport for London (TfL) scrapped a recorded message of the mayor warning passengers of "huge pressure on the transport network" amid claims the city has become a ghost town.

Some attractions said visitor numbers are down by between 20% and 40%.

The mayor insisted businesses which had engaged with the Games were prospering.

Mr Johnson added: "What's happening is people are having a great time and those who are looking to engage with the Games are doing great business."

Asked what his message to struggling businesses would be, he added: "The message is, London is the place to be and I hope as many people as possible get involved with everything that's on offer from attractions at Stratford to those in central London."

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