Sorting Out the Traffic Problems

Britain’s leading technical event organiser, Haymarket, is taking a big step to combat the perennial traffic problem associated with the Cereals Event which for 2010 will be held at Robert Law’s farm near Royston on the 9^th and 10^th of June 2010. “We have had years of feedback from visitors saying it is a fantastic event, but ‘you must do something to sort out the traffic problems’,” says Cereals organiser Jon Day.

“Some of the biggest draws of the Cereals Event like cultivation demonstrations and crop plots require the flexibility and workable acreage that is only available on a farm with a supportive host farmer,” he explains. “However finding a working farm which has a road infrastructure which allows the free flow of local residents combined with 26,500 visitors for 48 hours at peak commuting times is a near impossible task without severe delays.”

In addition, as with all public events, Haymarket needs to work with the local highways authority and the traffic police to find an acceptable traffic solution. “There is a great need for us to alleviate the traffic bottlenecks of last year,” he adds. 

Book Your Bus Online

Visitors will be encouraged to book their tickets online and from postcodes collected they will be given directions to one of three satellite car parks. All are within 15-20 minutes of the showground and will operate a regular shuttle bus service to and from the event. “Buses will run at least every 10 minutes during peak times and every 15 minutes off peak but our aim is to provide a much more frequent service with buses running in time slots of under 5 minutes," he says.

Earlier start

The car park sites have been selected to take traffic from the eastbound A505, the southbound M11 and westbound A505 and will be operational from 6.30am until 7.30pm. Visitors will also be allowed into the event earlier than previous years with access from 7.00am to help avoid peak commuter traffic.

“We have been working with a traffic consultant and bus operator both of which have experience of running park and ride operations, as well as using local knowledge from Robert Law to negotiate the parking sites we are confident that the locations are ideal to alleviate the traffic headaches associated with previous events,” he adds.

Haymarket has scrutinised numerous traffic control options used for reaching rural events and the least favoured are outlying car parks with a long walk to the event ground and restricted access to and from event car parks.

For more details about Cereals 2010 go to www.cerealsevent.co.uk