World Youth Day is the largest youth event in the world and will be held in Sydney from Monday July
World Youth Day is the largest youth event in the world and will be held in Sydney from Monday July 14 to Sunday July 20 and promises to be a test of public transport and the bus community in general.
Organised by the Catholic Church, WYD08 is expected to attract more than 125,000 international visitors, and you can imagine how many charter vehicles will be needed to service the international guest alone, not to mention the dedicated local young Catholics making the pilgrimage to Sydney.
The six-day celebration includes the first visit by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to Australia. Sydney will be the only city the Pope visits while in Australia.
People who register to attend the celebrations are called pilgrims. The event organisers are planning for up to 225,000 registered pilgrims including 100,000 Australians.
Up to 500,000 pilgrims and members of the public are expected for the Final Mass celebrated by the Pope at Randwick Racecourse and Centennial Park.
An extensive program of events is planned, managed by the event organisers. There are also a number of associated events being organised by other parts of the Catholic Church. A program of events can be found at www.wyd2008.org.
Pilgrims and others travelling to WYD08 events will be using our public transport system throughout the six days.
Additional services are being scheduled and some service changes will be necessary.
We do expect an increase in demand for public transport. Most WYD08 events do not start until after morning peak hour and finish after the evening peak hour. Pilgrims will be asked to travel outside peak hours.
Further information about the service changes and what to expect during WYD08 will be provided during the coming months.
In the meantime, to find out more about WYD08 please go to the WYD08 website at www.wyd2008.org or call the Infoline on 1300 993 793.
You can also visit the NSW Government’s World Youth Day Coordination Authority website at www.wydca.nsw.gov.au.
This website has been created to provide the community with the information they will need to plan and manage their lives and businesses during the WYD08 celebrations.