Company installs space pods to help staff avoid commute during Olympics

　　With roads and tube lines set to be more congested than ever this summer a few people may be tempted to use it an excuse for a day off.

　　But for employees at data services provider Interxion a chaotic commute during the Olympics will hold no weight.

　　That's because, in a bid to keep things ticking over this summer, bosses at the London company are asking staff to sleep at work - in space pods.

　　Far from sleeping on the job engineers at the Brick Lane based firm in east London will be asked to stay behind and sleep in the claustrophobic capsules to avoid the rush hour.

　　And while other companies are set to offer staff the luxury of working from home during the Games the firm behind the capsules hope to get more workplaces on board.

　　Podtime, the firm behind the unusual cabins, are billing them as the perfect solution to the Olympics' congested commute.

　　On their official website they state 'London businesses will be severely affected by the transport problems caused by the Olympics.

　　'Cost effective and versatile pods provide the best solution to this by allowing your staff to stay on site as necessary, in comfort and privacy.'

　　Coming in a range of colours, the capsules made of polycarbonate, sell at anything from ?1,375.

　　The stock models are fitted with either foam mattresses or a standard single mattress as well as a storage shelf, mirror and power points.

　　These types of capsules have been around for years, in hotels, but Interxion is thought to be among the first to have them stalled at the workplace.

　　An independent report carried out by Oxford Economics last year estimated that around 450,000 visitors will stay in the capital while 5.5 million people will visit for at least a day during the Games.

　　This will inevitably mean more cars on the road and greater congestion on the Underground.

　　今年夏天，英國的馬路和地鐵將出現前所未有的擁擠，有些人可能會很想以交通堵塞為由請假。

　　然而對數據服務供應商Interxion的僱員來説，奧運期間混亂的交通不足為懼。

　　這是因為這家倫敦公司的老闆們今夏為了保持公司正常運轉，讓員工睡在辦公室的“太空艙”裏。

　　這家公司的工程師完全不是在工作時打盹，而是為了躲避交通高峰期，被留宿在幽閉的“太空艙”裏。這家公司的總部位於倫敦東部的磚塊街。

　　其他公司打算奧運會期間讓員工享受在家工作的待遇，而這家設置“太空艙”的公司希望能增加更多工作人員用艙。

　　發明這種奇特的太空艙的Podtime公司宣稱這是應對奧運會交通擁堵的最佳方案。

　　該公司在官方網站上説道：“倫敦商業將會因奧運會導致的交通問題而受到嚴重影響。

　　“太空艙成本低又集多功能于一身，通過讓員工在必要的時候就地留宿，又舒適又清靜，為奧運交通問題提供了最佳解決方法。”

　　這種小艙用聚碳酸酯製成，有多種顏色，起價為1375英鎊。

　　這種小艙的模型內裝有儲物架、鏡子和電源插座，還有泡沫床墊或標準單人床墊。

　　多年前旅館裏就已經有這種小艙，但據認為Interxion是第一個將這種小艙安置在工作場所的公司。

　　《牛津經濟學》去年發佈的一份獨立報告估計，奧運會期間約有45萬遊客將在首都倫敦停留，550萬人至少會在倫敦停留一天。