diamond geezer

 Saturday, October 08, 2011

Here's what naked commercialism looks like.
Mayor secures Emirates Airline as private sponsor for pioneering new Thames crossing
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, today announced that global airline Emirates will sponsor London's exciting new cable car river crossing, to be known as the Emirates Air Line, in a ten-year deal worth £36m. The Emirates Air Line will connect north and south London, travelling between two new stations set to be named Emirates Greenwich Peninsula and Emirates Royal Docks.
Here's what £3.6 million quid a year gets you...
  • a cable car system shamelessly named after your airline company (the Emirates Air Line)
  • the station at one end cumbersomely named after your airline company (Emirates Greenwich Peninsula)
  • the station at the other end clumsily named after your airline company (Emirates Royal Docks)
  • the cable car system, and its sponsored name, and the two stations, and their sponsored names, plastered all over millions of copies of the tube map until 2022
  • a red line on the tube map, in your official corporate colour, joining one sponsored station to the other sponsored station (in a garish, extremely distracting way)
  • a new roundel, wider than usual, in corporate red, slapped on the gondolas and the stations and the maps and any other promotional material you can get away with
    The sponsorship deal secured by the Mayor and TfL will see Emirates provide significant private sector investment to this new transport scheme totalling £36m.
    Here's what £36 million quid doesn't get you...
  • enough money to fund the construction of the cable car out of private funds (which leaves umpteen millions to be paid by the public out of TfL's rail budget)
    Scheduled for completion in summer 2012 the Emirates Air Line will offer commuters and visitors majestic aerial views as they travel across the Thames and provide a much needed additional river crossing.
    If it's ready for the Olympics (big if), the cablecar will be a convenient additional transport option between two major Games venues. Even if it's not ready for the Olympics, the cablecar will be a popular tourist attraction. Whether it's ready for the Olympics or not, the cablecar will provide additional cross-river resilience if ever the Jubilee line or Blackwall Tunnel are closed. Whenever it's ready, the cablecar will be bugger all use for commuters, saving incredibly few of them very little time.
    With capacity to carry up to 2,500 people per hour in each direction in the peak, equivalent to 30 buses per hour, the Emirates Air Line will be the first of a package of measures to improve river crossings in east London. It is anticipated it will carry two million passengers per year.
    Two million passengers a year? That isn't much. It's only 5500 passengers a day - the equivalent of two hours peak-time capacity. It seems that nobody expects this cablecar to be packed, nor even busy. That'll be because it goes from not-quite The O2 to not-quite the Excel exhibition centre, which isn't a journey 99.99% of London's population ever needs to make. For comparison, the Woolwich Ferry carries two and a half million passengers a year, in three clapped-out ferries running not terribly often.
    The Emirates Air Line will be a key element of the Mayor's vision to transform east London into a bustling metropolitan quarter teeming with new businesses, entertainment and leisure facilities supported by world-class transportation.
    No, the Emirates Air Line is an unnecessary shiny thing, conjured up by a Mayor who likes building unnecessary shiny things because they make it look like he's doing something. A big red tower by the Olympic Stadium - unnecessary, shiny, ticketed. A new red bus with a rear platform - unnecessary, shiny, expensive. Barclay-blue cycle lanes across the city - unnecessary, shiny, sponsored. A floating airport in the Thames estuary - unnecessary, shiny, dead. And now a suspended advert for a foreign airline as a tourist's plaything linking nowhere useful - unnecessary, shiny, irrelevant. Of all the things £60m could have been spent on, why this?
    Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said: 'This multi-million pound deal is tremendous news for London, helping us to deliver a new addition to the city's skyline.
    No, this is a vanity project, a social irrelevance, pimping transport infrastructure to the highest bidder, on the the day Boris prostituted the tube map. Four more years, anyone?

    » The Emirates <spit> Air Line (official TfL project webpage)
    » Emirates airline press release (they're almost as chuffed as when they snared Arsenal)
    » Varied reaction from local media


  • << click for Newer posts

    click for Older Posts >>


    click to return to the main page


    ...or read more in my monthly archives
    Jan24  Feb24  Mar24
    Jan23  Feb23  Mar23  Apr23  May23  Jun23  Jul23  Aug23  Sep23  Oct23  Nov23  Dec23
    Jan22  Feb22  Mar22  Apr22  May22  Jun22  Jul22  Aug22  Sep22  Oct22  Nov22  Dec22
    Jan21  Feb21  Mar21  Apr21  May21  Jun21  Jul21  Aug21  Sep21  Oct21  Nov21  Dec21
    Jan20  Feb20  Mar20  Apr20  May20  Jun20  Jul20  Aug20  Sep20  Oct20  Nov20  Dec20
    Jan19  Feb19  Mar19  Apr19  May19  Jun19  Jul19  Aug19  Sep19  Oct19  Nov19  Dec19
    Jan18  Feb18  Mar18  Apr18  May18  Jun18  Jul18  Aug18  Sep18  Oct18  Nov18  Dec18
    Jan17  Feb17  Mar17  Apr17  May17  Jun17  Jul17  Aug17  Sep17  Oct17  Nov17  Dec17
    Jan16  Feb16  Mar16  Apr16  May16  Jun16  Jul16  Aug16  Sep16  Oct16  Nov16  Dec16
    Jan15  Feb15  Mar15  Apr15  May15  Jun15  Jul15  Aug15  Sep15  Oct15  Nov15  Dec15
    Jan14  Feb14  Mar14  Apr14  May14  Jun14  Jul14  Aug14  Sep14  Oct14  Nov14  Dec14
    Jan13  Feb13  Mar13  Apr13  May13  Jun13  Jul13  Aug13  Sep13  Oct13  Nov13  Dec13
    Jan12  Feb12  Mar12  Apr12  May12  Jun12  Jul12  Aug12  Sep12  Oct12  Nov12  Dec12
    Jan11  Feb11  Mar11  Apr11  May11  Jun11  Jul11  Aug11  Sep11  Oct11  Nov11  Dec11
    Jan10  Feb10  Mar10  Apr10  May10  Jun10  Jul10  Aug10  Sep10  Oct10  Nov10  Dec10 
    Jan09  Feb09  Mar09  Apr09  May09  Jun09  Jul09  Aug09  Sep09  Oct09  Nov09  Dec09
    Jan08  Feb08  Mar08  Apr08  May08  Jun08  Jul08  Aug08  Sep08  Oct08  Nov08  Dec08
    Jan07  Feb07  Mar07  Apr07  May07  Jun07  Jul07  Aug07  Sep07  Oct07  Nov07  Dec07
    Jan06  Feb06  Mar06  Apr06  May06  Jun06  Jul06  Aug06  Sep06  Oct06  Nov06  Dec06
    Jan05  Feb05  Mar05  Apr05  May05  Jun05  Jul05  Aug05  Sep05  Oct05  Nov05  Dec05
    Jan04  Feb04  Mar04  Apr04  May04  Jun04  Jul04  Aug04  Sep04  Oct04  Nov04  Dec04
    Jan03  Feb03  Mar03  Apr03  May03  Jun03  Jul03  Aug03  Sep03  Oct03  Nov03  Dec03
     Jan02  Feb02  Mar02  Apr02  May02  Jun02  Jul02 Aug02  Sep02  Oct02  Nov02  Dec02 

    jack of diamonds
    Life viewed from London E3

    » email me
    » follow me on twitter
    » follow the blog on Twitter
    » follow the blog on RSS

    » my flickr photostream

    twenty blogs
    our bow
    arseblog
    ian visits
    londonist
    broken tv
    blue witch
    on london
    the great wen
    edith's streets
    spitalfields life
    linkmachinego
    round the island
    wanstead meteo
    christopher fowler
    the greenwich wire
    bus and train user
    ruth's coastal walk
    round the rails we go
    london reconnections
    from the murky depths

    quick reference features
    Things to do in Outer London
    Things to do outside London
    Inner London toilet map
    20 years of blog series
    The DG Tour of Britain
    London's most...

    read the archive
    Mar24  Feb24  Jan24
    Dec23  Nov23  Oct23  Sep23
    Aug23  Jul23  Jun23  May23
    Apr23  Mar23  Feb23  Jan23
    Dec22  Nov22  Oct22  Sep22
    Aug22  Jul22  Jun22  May22
    Apr22  Mar22  Feb22  Jan22
    Dec21  Nov21  Oct21  Sep21
    Aug21  Jul21  Jun21  May21
    Apr21  Mar21  Feb21  Jan21
    Dec20  Nov20  Oct20  Sep20
    Aug20  Jul20  Jun20  May20
    Apr20  Mar20  Feb20  Jan20
    Dec19  Nov19  Oct19  Sep19
    Aug19  Jul19  Jun19  May19
    Apr19  Mar19  Feb19  Jan19
    Dec18  Nov18  Oct18  Sep18
    Aug18  Jul18  Jun18  May18
    Apr18  Mar18  Feb18  Jan18
    Dec17  Nov17  Oct17  Sep17
    Aug17  Jul17  Jun17  May17
    Apr17  Mar17  Feb17  Jan17
    Dec16  Nov16  Oct16  Sep16
    Aug16  Jul16  Jun16  May16
    Apr16  Mar16  Feb16  Jan16
    Dec15  Nov15  Oct15  Sep15
    Aug15  Jul15  Jun15  May15
    Apr15  Mar15  Feb15  Jan15
    Dec14  Nov14  Oct14  Sep14
    Aug14  Jul14  Jun14  May14
    Apr14  Mar14  Feb14  Jan14
    Dec13  Nov13  Oct13  Sep13
    Aug13  Jul13  Jun13  May13
    Apr13  Mar13  Feb13  Jan13
    Dec12  Nov12  Oct12  Sep12
    Aug12  Jul12  Jun12  May12
    Apr12  Mar12  Feb12  Jan12
    Dec11  Nov11  Oct11  Sep11
    Aug11  Jul11  Jun11  May11
    Apr11  Mar11  Feb11  Jan11
    Dec10  Nov10  Oct10  Sep10
    Aug10  Jul10  Jun10  May10
    Apr10  Mar10  Feb10  Jan10
    Dec09  Nov09  Oct09  Sep09
    Aug09  Jul09  Jun09  May09
    Apr09  Mar09  Feb09  Jan09
    Dec08  Nov08  Oct08  Sep08
    Aug08  Jul08  Jun08  May08
    Apr08  Mar08  Feb08  Jan08
    Dec07  Nov07  Oct07  Sep07
    Aug07  Jul07  Jun07  May07
    Apr07  Mar07  Feb07  Jan07
    Dec06  Nov06  Oct06  Sep06
    Aug06  Jul06  Jun06  May06
    Apr06  Mar06  Feb06  Jan06
    Dec05  Nov05  Oct05  Sep05
    Aug05  Jul05  Jun05  May05
    Apr05  Mar05  Feb05  Jan05
    Dec04  Nov04  Oct04  Sep04
    Aug04  Jul04  Jun04  May04
    Apr04  Mar04  Feb04  Jan04
    Dec03  Nov03  Oct03  Sep03
    Aug03  Jul03  Jun03  May03
    Apr03  Mar03  Feb03  Jan03
    Dec02  Nov02  Oct02  Sep02
    back to main page

    the diamond geezer index
    2023 2022
    2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
    2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
    2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
    2006 2005 2004 2003 2002

    my special London features
    a-z of london museums
    E3 - local history month
    greenwich meridian (N)
    greenwich meridian (S)
    the real eastenders
    london's lost rivers
    olympic park 2007
    great british roads
    oranges & lemons
    random boroughs
    bow road station
    high street 2012
    river westbourne
    trafalgar square
    capital numbers
    east london line
    lea valley walk
    olympics 2005
    regent's canal
    square routes
    silver jubilee
    unlost rivers
    cube routes
    Herbert Dip
    metro-land
    capital ring
    river fleet
    piccadilly
    bakerloo

    ten of my favourite posts
    the seven ages of blog
    my new Z470xi mobile
    five equations of blog
    the dome of doom
    chemical attraction
    quality & risk
    london 2102
    single life
    boredom
    april fool

    ten sets of lovely photos
    my "most interesting" photos
    london 2012 olympic zone
    harris and the hebrides
    betjeman's metro-land
    marking the meridian
    tracing the river fleet
    london's lost rivers
    inside the gherkin
    seven sisters
    iceland

    just surfed in?
    here's where to find...
    diamond geezers
    flash mob #1  #2  #3  #4
    ben schott's miscellany
    london underground
    watch with mother
    cigarette warnings
    digital time delay
    wheelie suitcases
    war of the worlds
    transit of venus
    top of the pops
    old buckenham
    ladybird books
    acorn antiques
    digital watches
    outer hebrides
    olympics 2012
    school dinners
    pet shop boys
    west wycombe
    bletchley park
    george orwell
    big breakfast
    clapton pond
    san francisco
    thunderbirds
    routemaster
    children's tv
    east enders
    trunk roads
    amsterdam
    little britain
    credit cards
    jury service
    big brother
    jubilee line
    number 1s
    titan arum
    typewriters
    doctor who
    coronation
    comments
    blue peter
    matchgirls
    hurricanes
    buzzwords
    brookside
    monopoly
    peter pan
    starbucks
    feng shui
    leap year
    manbags
    bbc three
    vision on
    piccadilly
    meridian
    concorde
    wembley
    islington
    ID cards
    bedtime
    freeview
    beckton
    blogads
    eclipses
    letraset
    arsenal
    sitcoms
    gherkin
    calories
    everest
    muffins
    sudoku
    camilla
    london
    ceefax
    robbie
    becks
    dome
    BBC2
    paris
    lotto
    118
    itv