Not long to go!

It is now very exciting and I promised something of a diary.

The weekend was dominated by concerts in Hyde Park - Springsteen on Saturday, Paul Simon on Sunday and Madonna on Tuesday. All late finishes as there are road closures and we have been working to reopen them a soon as possible. Also we have practiced the mixed operation of a general road closure of Park Lane whilst allowing LOCOG cars to circulate, as we will have to do on the night of the Opening Ceremony.

This week we have really made changes to the road network, building on two consecutive weekend changes. In short we are using traffic signals to constrain traffic so that there is enough room around the Olympic venues (including Central London) for all traffic to flow. This week we have the most - schools still active, Olympic family arriving, and London going out its business.

Yesterday we officially reopened London Bridge bus station - a really useful by-product of the investment in the area now dominated by The Shard. I was delighted to meet the Chairman of the developers Irvine Sellar whose foresight and confidence has delivered this magnificent building despite the economic downturn which has taken place during its construction. I declared the new bus station open and with The Shard. London certainly has a new compass from which to take its directions.

This morning I gathered together all eight of the New Bus for London together at Ash Grove bus garage for a photocall.

I know the detractors would like to say something else but all eight are running fine. We are winding up their daily mileages and we remain pleased with their amazing fuel consumption and low levels of emissions. Each is now carrying commercial advertising for a different West End production.

Here they all are!  http://youtu.be/t076XjeJq4E

Tomorrow (Friday) the Torch comes to London and then things really get busy. I've been defending all we are doing on radio and TV this week and it was great to have Mayor Boris Johnson and Secretary of State Justine Greening pay an official visit to our Transport Co-ordination Centre to thank all the troops for their work which has now been going on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week since the Torch has been out and about.

Of course the Torch is going to travel on our transport system. Woolwich Ferry on Saturday, on the Underground early next week and then on a red London bus on Thursday. Stay close for news.

Am sending updates by Twitter too.

An exciting time for London - keep you all posted here.

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