Truckers are reporting that traffic in London is flowing reasonably well during the Olympics. The Freight Transport Association (FTA) reports that journey times are actually slightly better than expected.

It seems so many Londoners have fled the capital in terror (after all those official warnings of transport chaos), that traffic has not been significantly affected. So is that another triumph to match the amazing opening ceremony and the even more amazing Team GB medal haul? Up to a point. One of the justifications of the Olympics was the economic boost it would give to London. If no more people are on the roads, it would suggest the economic boost cannot be that great.

As it happens, our office is close to the Olympics. We are finding traffic east of the City pretty lumpy, but the centre and west of London seem generally OK, barring a few specific hotspots. Apparently overall traffic is down by 17% since the start of the Olympics, which no doubt has helped.

It does make you wonder if the planners actually liked the fact that big traffic jams were triggered when the Olympic Lanes went live before the Games started. Perhaps that was their way of nudging people off the road in good time for the main event. Or is that too cynical a view?