ECOOP 2005 -
Travel Advisory following 7th and 21st July
The recent events in London have obviously worried a number of people (presumably as intended by the perpetrators). If your travel to ECOOP is booked via London please read these notes carefully and all delegates are encouraged to read this message. Note that the attack was clearly timed to dominate the news media on the first day of the G8 summit; there is little chance of anything further happening except for cretinous and disruptive false alarms, but we cannot offer any guarantees.
Travel within Scotland is unaffected by the attack, although there is heightened security and awareness locally and across Europe. The folowing announcement was issued by the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority (covering the West of Scotland):
The Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority would like to reassure travellers that public transport services in Strathclyde are operating normally following the terrorist attacks in London. Extra security measures, including high visibility Police patrols, have been put in place covering transport services and facilities in Scotland.
If you were planning to have a holiday in London before or after ECOOP, we would encourage you to continue with your plans. Contact your hotel to get advice from them. If you prefer not to do this, please consider spending longer in Glasgow or elsewhere in Scotland. There are many beautiful cities, towns and rural locations worth exploring at your leisure.
If your flights are booked via London, with a change of plane at one of the London airports, you are unlikely to be significantly affected. You will encounter increased security measures, and a much more obvious police presence than usual. Please allow as much time as possible for security checks, and don't be surprised at increased vigilance by the border control authorities. The Glasgow airports will appear much more relaxed, but again the security measures have been heightened for your safety and reassurance.
If you need to change airports at London, e.g. switching from Heathrow to Stansted, we strongly recommend that you use the various bus or coach services that connect the airports using the M25 (London Orbital Motorway) to avoid having to pass through central London. The airport travel information desks will be able to give you more information.
If you are booked on a train from London, e.g. if you are flying in to London then heading in to the city to join a train to Scotland, your journey may be slightly more complicated. A normal train service has already resumed for all services to, from and via London. However parts of the London underground system may still be out of action at the time of the conference, so allow more time for crossing London and plan to do so by taxi rather than underground. If you are fit and don't have much luggage, you can even walk between the main stations in London, but you will need to use the Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted Express train services to get into London.
The transport authorities have asked people to be particularly careful not to leave their baggage unattended, and not to leave litter. Unattended packages left on public transport are likely to cause problems and will be destroyed. Security alerts are still causing minor disruption (mid-July) though hopefully these will be less common by late July.
In essence, we do not believe that the events of July 8th will significantly impact on ECOOP attendees, except those who may have been directly affected on the day. If you have any questions or concerns, please email the Local Organizing Chair: Peter Dickman (pd@dcs.gla.ac.uk).