The city’s Subte underground and overground train systems will be temporarily suspended for two days, November 30 and December 1, as part of the security plan adopted for the upcoming G20 Leaders Summit, City Transport Secretary Juan José Méndez announced at a press conference yesterday.
National and City officials unveiled a host of security measures at the briefing, which will see freedom of movement severely constricted in the nation's capital as world leaders descend on Buenos Aires for the high-profile meeting.
Around 2,800 traffic agents will be regulating the movement of traffic in numerous areas across the city that will be subject to restrictions, including areas in Puerto Madero, Avenue 9 de Julio and sections of the Retiro and Palermo neighbourhoods, among others.
The area surrounding the summit venue, Costa Salguero, will be be closed to the public entirely starting from 3pm on Tuesday, November 27, and will be under the strict surveillance of the National and Federal Police.
“This is a great opportunity for us to prove Argentina is able to organise [events] well,” said federal Security Ministry Patricia Bullrich at the press conference, adding this is the first time the country hosts more than 25 world leaders.
“Our security measures are strong and adequate to face this challenge,” she added.
The Security Ministry has already tapped a total of 22,000 security officers for the event, including forces of the National Gendarmerie, the Federal Police service, the National Police, Airport Security Police, and police officers from Buenos Aires Province, according to Bullrich.
In addition, each leader of the G20 will be accompanied by his or her own civilian and military personnel.
Given the huge efforts undertaken for the hosting of this historic event, the government has encouraged porteños to leave the capital for a few days, declaring that Friday, November 30, will be a national holiday.
A closer look at public transports schedule and variations.
Trains – both underground and overground rail services – will be severely restricted during the G20 summit.
The Subte's B-line and H-line will operate from 3pm to 11.59pm on November 29, but all other lines – A, B, C, D, E, H and Premetro services – will be temporarily suspended for the entirety on November 30 and December 1.
Overground rail services will also be cancelled on November 30 and December 1, and will be restored on December 2 at midnight – the only exception is the Mitre line, which will be reactivated one day later.
In theory, bus services will be unaffected, though diversions will be commonplace. Certain routes will be inaccessible due to security operations between Avenues Independencia, Callao, Las Heras, Sarmiento, Figueroa Alcorta and La Pampa from November 29 at 9pm until December 2 at 11.59pm.
Metrobus sections of routes will be however. The Metrobus 'del Bajo' will be off service from November 29 from 3pm until December 1 at 10pm, while the Metrobus line on Avenida 9 de Julio will be halted from 9am to 10pm on the same days – interruptions include the temporary closure of Terminal Madero and Terminal Obelisco. The Metrobus 25 de Mayo section will be suspended from 5pm on November 29 until 11.59pm on November 30.
For those who drive, major thoroughfares will be shut down too. The Illia, Cantilo and Lugones highways will be closed to traffic from November 29 at 3pm to December 2 at noon.
At the Aeroparque Jorge Newbery metropolitan and El Palomar airports in the City, commercial flights will be suspended starting from 3pm on November 29 until 10pm on December 1, while Ezeiza international airport on the outskirts of the capital will operate normally.
Operations at the port of Buenos Aires will be interrupted from November 29 at 3 pm to December 2 at noon.
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