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BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The metro and bus workers from TMB, the main public transport operator in the metropolitan area of Barcelona, have announced plans to strike during Mobile World Congress, which will be held 22-25 February 2016. The metro strike is currently expected on Monday, 22 and Wednesday, 24 February, and the bus strike on Tuesday, 23 and Thursday, 25 February; during this time, service would be operated at minimum required levels.
We are immediately activating a contingency plan to ensure that attendees can safely travel to and from the Fira Gran Via venue and can enter the facility as quickly as possible. The contingency plan addresses several areas including transportation, registration and venue access.
TRANSPORTATION
Metro Service: Public officials have assured us that metro service will operate at minimum required levels on 22 and 24 February.
Municipal Bus Service: We anticipate that Barcelona metropolitan bus service will operate in a limited capacity on 23 and 25 February.
Taxi Service: Taxi service will be running at normal high levels as per previous Mobile World Congress events.
Private Transportation: Private transportation used by attendees to and from Fira Gran Via will operate as in prior years.
GSMA Hotel Bus Service: To augment public transportation, the GSMA is providing a fleet of hotel shuttle buses to transport attendees to and from Fira Gran Via. The shuttle bus service will run from 15 collection points around the city. Attendees will be able to access information on the shuttle bus routes and collection points from their hotels beginning on Sunday, 21 February.
REGISTRATION
The GSMA encourages attendees to register and pick up their badges on the weekend where possible to minimise potential congestion. Registration at Fira Gran Via is open on Sunday, 21 February and during the event days. The registration desks at the airport and satellite registration locations at Sants Estació train station and at Passeig de Gràcia are also open Sunday, 21 February. Full registration opening hours are available at www.mobileworldcongress.com/badge-collection/registration-opening-hours/.
VENUE ACCESS
Starting on Monday, 22 February, entrances to Fira Gran Via will be fully staffed and open for access to Mobile World Congress; exhibitors can access the venue from 07:00, hospitality from 07:30 and general attendees from 09:00. Staff will be present to direct attendees to the most appropriate entrances. It is suggested that attendees travelling to Fira Gran Via on Monday may want to consider departing earlier than in prior years in the event that travel times are increased due to traffic congestion.
-ENDS-
About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai and the Mobile 360 Series conferences.
For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.