The Minister of State for Transport (Mr Sadiq Khan):  The Olympic Route Network Designation Order 2009 has today been laid before Parliament. The Order comes into force on 22 July 2009.

The Order lists the roads that are to form the Olympic Route Network (ORN) - a network of roads between venues and accommodation to be used during the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games ('the Games') by vehicles carrying the athletes, officials and media - the Games Family - who are at the heart of the Games.

London committed in its Bid and in the Host City Contract for the Games to have an ORN. This was because the lessons and experience of previous host cities is that this is the most effective way to provide the safe, secure and reliable transport for athletes, officials and media between venues and accommodation that is critical to the Games' success.
 
The Government's objectives for the ORN are to meet the Games Family's needs while at the same time minimising the impact on residents, businesses and visitors to ensure London and the rest of the UK are kept moving.
 
The laying of this Order follows consideration of the responses received to the Department for Transport's consultation between December 2008 and March 2009 on the roads to be included in the ORN. A full report on the consultation responses and the Government's response will be available on the Department for Transport’s website www.dft.gov.uk and in the Libraries of both Houses. A number of changes have been made to the roads in the ORN in the light of those responses. The Government's response also sets out the Olympic Delivery Authority's plans, starting this summer, to engage and consult with residents, businesses and other stakeholders on the design, implementation and operation of the traffic management measures to be applied on the ORN roads during the Games.