Just to alert you about a few points that may affect employees, families and lives regarding this year's 2010 Soccer World Cup in SA:
At an FNB Business Dinner last week, Gary Bailey (who has been involved in the last two World Cups) presented some stats on World Cup expectations:
- Schools will be closed for almost over four weeks during the World Cup - it was apparently legislated last week. Think about what you're going do with your kids.
- Air tickets to Cape Town (for example) will cost about R8,000 per seat as some flights have to leave same night after the games due to accommodation problems in PLZ/CPT/DBN/BLOEM.
- Flights will operate 24 hours. Expect NOISE. Expect TRAFFIC around airports all hours.
- Fresh veggies and fruit will be scarce, if not unavailable, during this time. For the World Cup in Germany, they had to import them.
- Traffic will increase by about 30% at the times of the games as fans go to the grounds or Fan Parks (games start at 13.30, 16.00 and 2030 hrs). The best time to fly is whilst matches are on!
- Road areas around stadiums will be closed off;
- It is expected that 550,000 people will be travelling to/from matches and 100,000 per match day... Expect considerable delays on match days;
- There will not be parking available at airports - so arrange drop offs
- 4,800 buses will be operational and there will be restrictions on truckers/hauliers, etc. so you need to plan with clients and especially regarding containers needing haulage.
- "Fan Parks" will be a huge attraction and traffic to/from those areas will be extremely congested. At one Fan Park in Germany 500,000 people pitched up, consuming during the events three million sausages, one million litres of beer, etc. Think of the logistics!!!
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TRAVEL DURING THIS PERIOD
- Do not travel during these periods unless it is critical to travel.
- Plan your trip well in advance, changes to a ticket over this period will be extremely difficult and very expensive.
- Try to make appointments at a location that is in the opposite direction of a stadium / fan park.
- Take flights during the times when the games are being played. Games start at 13h30.
- Allow for a minimum of 2 hours to get to the airport in Cape Town and possibly 3 hours for Johannesburg. The congestion on the roads both to and from the airports is going to be chaotic. Plan for delays.
- Parking at the airport will be virtually impossible and it is advisable to get someone to drop / collect you from the airports. Transfer companies will be busy with tourists and will also be very expensive.
In Short: -DON'T travel; stock up on meat/coke/fruit/veggies in early and enjoy the soccer (on TV, with replays).
4 Feb 2010
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