An Olympic Games Lane in London (courtesy of Copwatcher/Flickr)

Today marks the beginning of the Olympic Games — at least for drivers in central London, who now have to contend with the 30-mile network of new ‘Games Lanes’ that can only be used by Olympic participants between 6am and midnight.

The result, predictably, was additional traffic, with additional congestion in all the usual traffic blackspots, such as the A40, and the A4 in West London. It’s not for nothing that these lanes have become known as Zil lanes.

Games Lanes are in place around one-third of the Olympic Route Network, according to Transport for London, which says that a network of 150 electronic signs around the network will advise motorists when they can use the lane — something that appeared to be causing confusion this morning.

Not too late for van hire

If you have been adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach to Olympic traffic and have now decided that you need to get hold of some extra rental vans or minibuses to enable you to deal with the disruption, then the good news is that there is still some availability, even in central London.

Our unique van hire price comparison system enables you to compare van hire throughout London and the rest of the UK and find the best prices. Wherever we quote a price, it is a ‘live’ price obtained directly from the hire company, so you can normally click through and book immediately at that price.

Click here to compare van hire or minibus hire prices or view all of our London branches here.