Motorists: Expect congestion during the Island Games with athletes making 9,000 journeys a day

Athletes, officials and trainers travelling to and from their accommodation and sporting venues all over the Island are expected to cause some disruption.

Each day there will be 57 loop bus journeys around town and St Clement, and 224 coach journeys during the week for the footballers alone.

And other athletes will be hiring 21 minibuses to get them around the Island.

Spectators will also be able to use the loop bus service, which is being provided by Liberty Bus and circulates between Springfield, the Games Village at Howard Davis Park, FB Fields, Fort Regent, the Liberation Bus Station and New Gilson Hall.

And link bus routes will be added to normal bus routes, including from St Mary’s Primary School to Crabbé for shooting events and from the Jersey Activity Centre at Faldouet to Gorey, where the cycling road race will take place.

Andy Jehan, the head of logistics for the Games, said that the organising committee are doing their best to ensure minimal disruption to Islanders during the week.

14 sports
24 islands
36 sports venues
1,664 medals
2,600 athletes
35 partner hotels
450 Waitrose Games Makers
50+ visiting media
200+ sports officials
4,000+ accredited passes
3 Games loop busses

‘There are about 3,000 athletes and officials and they might be making two or three journeys per day,’ said Mr Jehan.

‘We are encouraging those travelling between destinations in St Helier to walk on foot and not use transport – it’s better for them to walk for 15 minutes than wait 20 minutes for a bus.

‘They will all be given a map which shows the walking distance time to different locations in town from the Games Village in Howard Davis Park.

‘We have also organised the timing of events to avoid disruption at peak hours of traffic.’

Many competitors will also be able to get around on two wheels as over 400 bicycles are being brought into the Island as luggage.

Over 13,000 leaflets have been distributed to any Islanders who will be affected by road closures caused by the cycling road race, time trial and triathlon.

The loop bus will run every ten minutes from 6 am to 9 am, and every 20 minutes from 9 am to 10 pm on each day of Games week, which begins on Saturday 27 June.

Details of the additional bus routes, road closures and the timings of events can be found at jersey2015.com.

The Island Games organising committee is also appealing for volunteers to drive minibuses during Games week – for details call 449191 or email gamesmakers@jersey2015.com