Justice
The PR Disaster of London's Olympic Traffic Lanes
Organizers of the Summer Games are finding it difficult to balance their own needs with that of the host city.
Do the needs of Olympic officials trump those of the sick and elderly? The answer from the Olympic committee organizing this summer’s London games seems to be yes.
Last month National Health Service London, the British capital’s overarching health body, made a request to Olympic organizers to allow ambulances access to this summer’s temporary network of special Olympic traffic lanes [PDF]. These lanes will be carved from major city arteries for 17 days during the Games to allow speedy transfers between Olympic venues for athletes and officials. The London Olympic Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG), however, has decided that ambulances on non-urgent business will not be given permission to use them.