This was the chaotic departure of the fans after the first BTS concert in San Marcos-apuesplan-

The first date of BTS in Lima It ended this Wednesday with a massive departure of attendees from the Stadium of the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Minutes after the concert concluded, the streets around the venue began to gather thousands of people seeking to go to their homes, while vehicular traffic registered heavy congestion.

During the tour made by The Commerceit was observed that several attendees had difficulty identifying which route they should take to leave the stadium surroundings and continue their trip. The concentration of people, closed streets and changes in circulation made travel more complex in some sectors.

On Amézaga Avenue, one of the points used to decongest the exit, traffic was initially restricted and space was made available for pedestrians to move. Later, this provision was expanded to facilitate the orderly departure of attendees.

The movement was accompanied by the presence of members of the Peruvian National Police (PNP), security personnel and canine police agents, who remained deployed at different points to protect the attendees and control the flow of people.

The lack of signage complicated orientation since the morning

The difficulties in finding one’s way did not begin with the departure. Since the early hours of Wednesday, thousands of BTS fans arrived outside San Marcos to attend the first of the three concerts scheduled in Lima.

At 8 am, those who had access to the sound test began entering through door 1. The flow continued throughout the morning, while long lines of attendees remained in other sectors of the perimeter.

The Commerce During the morning he walked the routes between the different entrances and noted difficulties in clearly identifying the path to some doors destined for the different areas of the stadium. In certain sections, especially around Amézaga Avenue, the signage was not sufficient to guide those seeking to reach their respective entrances.

Part of this difficulty was related to traffic restrictions and the works on Line 2 of the Lima Metro, which keep some sectors of Amézaga Avenue closed. Several attendees had to consult the security staff to identify how to continue towards their doors.

The situation also created opportunities for informal transportation services. During the tour, The Commerce He observed motorcycles and other vehicles offering to transport attendees to points close to their entrances, despite the restrictions established on the perimeter of the venue.

Queues, resale and trade around the stadium

The day began with a strong presence of the public around the university. The lines extended to different points of the perimeter and were accompanied by vendors and businesses aimed at fans.

El Comercio found people offering spaces in lines for amounts between S/40 and S/60. The presence of resellers was also observed offering tickets for different areas of the stadium, with prices reaching several thousand soles.

During the morning, the PNP intervened one of the resellers outside San Marcos after, according to what was observed at the scene, he repeatedly entered one of the lines and created disorder among the attendees.

The commercial movement was not limited to ticket sales either. Food stalls, products alluding to BTS, makeup and hair were set up around the campus. Some of the attendees had arrived from different regions of the country and from abroad to participate in the three dates of the South Korean group.

The deployment of vendors also generated interventions by municipal inspection personnel, mainly in sectors of Colonial Avenue. At times, clashes occurred between merchants and municipal agents during the removal of stalls that occupied spaces intended for traffic.

An operation with more than 1,000 agents per date

For the three BTS dates, scheduled for this Wednesday the 7th, Friday the 9th and Saturday the 10th of October, the authorities announced an extensive security and transportation operation. Collectively, the concerts have a projected attendance of around 150,000 people.

The Metropolitan Municipality of Lima (MML) reported on the deployment of more than 1,000 agents for each date. They were joined by PNP troops, security personnel and other institutions involved in controlling the exterior of the facility.

The operation also included vehicle restrictions in different sections of the avenues surrounding San Marcos. The objective was to create a security perimeter and facilitate both entry and exit of the public.

For these dates, production incorporated doors 3 and 8 as additional entrances, located towards Universitaria and Colonial avenues, respectively. These are also part of the exit scheme to prevent the entire public from concentrating in a single sector.

180 buses for the return of attendees

One of the main challenges after the concert was the transfer of the thousands of people who left the stadium almost simultaneously.

The Urban Transportation Authority for Lima and Callao (ATU) expanded the number of buses scheduled for each of the three dates from 80 to 180. In total, 17 transport companies participate with services directed towards Lima Norte, Lima Este, Lima Sur and Callao.

In addition, at the intersection of Universitaria and Mariano Cornejo avenues, services were enabled to areas such as Pueblo Libre, Miraflores and Villa María del Triunfo. Buses from the Red Corridor were added to this offer, from Universitaria Avenue, with a route along La Marina Avenue towards Ate.

The recommendation for attendees is to go to the points established for public transportation and avoid trying to leave in private vehicles near the stadium, where the concentration of people and traffic restrictions can prolong the trip.

The incorporation of doors 3 and 8 to the exit plan seeks precisely to distribute the flow of attendees and reduce the concentration of people in a single sector.

UV3 neighbors question the impact of the concerts

While thousands of fans left San Marcos, residents of the surrounding areas also expressed their concern about the impact generated by the concerts.

Jorge Chau, president of the neighborhood association of Neighborhood Unit 3 (UV3)maintained that residents have had difficulties due to the massive presence of assistants and vendors in the streets near their homes.

“Neighborhood Unit number three has been invaded by thousands and thousands of people, street vendors, informal businesses of everything, even food,” Chau said during a conversation with El Comercio.

The leader stated that the area’s sidewalks, intended for pedestrian traffic by residents, have been reduced by the presence of outpatient commerce and the circulation of attendees. He also expressed concern about security during the concert days and the possibility that these situations could be repeated on the two remaining dates.

Chau also questioned that the neighborhood association had not participated in the prior coordination for the organization of the operation. “We have never been summoned,” he stated.

The president of the association proposed as one of the immediate measures the installation of railings at the entrances of the neighborhood unit to restrict the passage of people from outside the area and keep the accesses of residents clear.

Regarding the noise generated by the concerts, Chau maintained that in previous events the volume would have caused inconvenience to the neighbors. In the case of BTS, he indicated that they will wait to know the levels recorded during the presentations to evaluate the impact of this first date.

The first presentation of BTS in San Marcos thus leaves two different scenarios: inside the stadium, thousands of fans participated in the long-awaited return of the South Korean group to Lima; In the surrounding area, the day was marked by long waits, commerce, traffic restrictions and orientation difficulties that became visible again during the departure.

There are still two dates left: Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10. For both days, the authorities will have to repeat the security and transportation operation, while the residents of the surrounding areas hope that the measures will reduce the impact on their streets and accesses.