Transport for London, who control the capital's traffic light system, have made major changes to the phasing of traffic lights across London.

The changes are part of the launch of the Olympic Route Network which displaces traffic onto local roads in order to free up dedicated lanes on major routes for those taking part in the Games.

Hammersmith & Fulham Council is warning motorists and bus passengers that longer waits at many of the capital’s major junctions are likely, with serious tailbacks building up at peak times.

" We received notification that these changes have been made by TfL only this week and are alerting local people immediately so that they can better plan for the inevitable disruption," says Cllr Greg Smith, H&F Council’s spokesman on the Olympics.

Anyone wanting advice or to report problems with the lights can contact TfL's customer care centre on 0845 305 1234.

"There is no doubt that the introduction of the ORN means displaced traffic needs to be managed, but local people need to know how and when this will affect their journeys," says Cllr Smith.

"We are calling on TfL to keep residents better informed, rather than springing major changes on us like this without warning.

"TfL must monitor the effects of these changes closely and adjust the lights where they need to. Above all, TfL must listen to what the motoring public is saying and act swiftly to smooth out the traffic backlogs.

“We are also urging TfL to make sure plans are in place to get the lights back to normal the very minute the games are over. We don’t want to endure the queues any longer than we have to.”

Map by map details of the Olympic and Paralympic Route Networks can be found here.

Further information can be found at Get Ahead of the Games

To watch a film explaining how TfL’s ORN, including the Games lanes, works, go here.

July 20, 2012