Games transport comes right for big night

Sydney: Sydney's much troubled transport system came right on the big night and coped well with tens of thousands of sports fans celebrating the opening of the Olympic Games, organisers said on Saturday.

A total of 116,000 people travelled to the Olympic complex in the west of the city by public transport -- 91,500 by train and 24,500 by bus -- for Friday night's ceremony.

About 70,000 travelled to venues in central Sydney to watch the four-hour extravaganza on huge screens.

"After three years of planning, it is almost a relief that it has actually started...it is reassuring that travel to the opening ceremony has run smoothly," said Paul Willoughby, spokesman for Sydney's Olympic Roads and Traffic Authority.

Transport foul-ups, including the stranding of International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch outside his hotel, have been the biggest threat to sports-mad Australia's vow to stage the best Games in history.

Some 100 army, navy and air force drivers are due in Sydney by Monday to reinforce thousands of civilian drivers.

Dozens of drivers have quit over working conditions and organisers increased pay to prevent a mass walkout. Some 200 government buses and drivers were also called up to reinforce the existing fleet of 3,500 vehicles and 4,500 drivers.

Some 140,000 people have been accredited for the Olympics and 500,000 people a day are expected to visit Sydney's Olympic Park on each of the 17 days of the Games.

Authorities said Friday night's celebrations had been largely trouble-free apart from some cases of drunkenness.

"It's been pretty tame all round -- no major incidents. By and large people have been pretty well-behaved," said one official.



(c) Reuters Limited.