Taking aim at traffic

Transportation continues to be a major headache ahead of the 2007 World Cup, and this week some of the major players will be meeting to chart a road map.

Stephen Alleyne, chief executive of the Barbados Local Organising Committee, said yesterday that the issue of movement of people during the tournament has been a major concern, and that they would be tackling this "strategic area" from Tuesday to Thursday at the Royal Antigua Hotel. He added that all other areas of the tournament's organisation were given positive grades, but transportation needed to be tackled "head-on".

"The transportation and the movement of people between the nine countries hosting matches have been the most significant issues we have faced and we will be meeting in Antigua to look at these," Alleyne said after a tour of Kensington Oval.

"We will be having senior officials in many strategic areas present. There will be top officials from all the major airlines in the region, Cricket World Cup officials, customs, immigration, government, and so on. We have to get a road map as to where we are heading. The road must be clear."

Organisers have projected that about 100,000 visitors will be in the Caribbean during the March 5 to April 28 tournament. Alleyne said several air charters have indicated willingness to play a part in the movement of fans. He added that the organisers were close to signing on the charter airlines to move players, officials and VIPs.

Last week the major airlines in the region - Air Jamaica, LIAT, BWIA West Indies Airways, and Caribbean Star and Caribbean Sun - announced they would be making a joint bid to be the official carrier.