That’s according to Brewery Logistics Chairman Mike Bracey, who put drop in the number of deliveries down to Londoners leaving the city, following the Transport for London’s advice to work from home.
Bracey said: “We’re still low on volumes. Everything else is going to plan, and a lot of the members are coming off nights. One or two have said volumes are up to 60% down. Others have said 20%.
“They are hoping it will pick up next week because people will go back to work. I think it’s been over-killed. It’s the same in Weymouth, there’s fewer people around than anticipated.
“Businesses in town are suffering. This is the story throughout the place because people headed out as they were told. I’ve heard tourists say, ‘why come into London if the Londoners aren’t?’ It’s put them off.
“The Games have been very successful but other people have suffered.”
Last month, Bracey was reported as saying that deliveries would be a “complete disruption” and predicted volumes to drop by 20% to 40%.
He added: “All the planning that went in has worked. We had been planning for two-and-a-half years. The benefits have been reaped. Some customers have liked the nights and the draymen love it because they get to go home early.”
For the Paralympics, Bracey does not think there will be much disruption. He said: “For the Paralympics, there are a lot of tickets being sold but we have not got the same number of venues. I can’t see there being a problem.
“The night work is much smaller, there’s only a few miles of roads [in the Olympic Route Network that cannot be used].”