Sadiq Khan wants to ban cars from Oxford Street ‘as quickly as possible’
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said he plans to proceed with the ban on cars on Oxford Street as soon as possible following the success of a traffic-free day last month.
Khan held a traffic-free ‘This is Oxford Street’ event on Sunday 21 September, where Oxford Street was closed to traffic from 12pm until 8pm.
The event offered a glimpse at what the street could be like once fully pedestrianised, and Khan has hailed the trial as a major success.
Data showed that footfall on Oxford Street was 45% higher than the week before, and 67% of stores on the street reported similar or higher sales than a typical Sunday.
The data was sourced from a New West End Company (NWEC) survey, which also found that 83% of stores on the street would consider taking part in similar events in future.
The ‘This is Oxford Street’ event featured a number of pop-up stores, themed shopping zones, and various activities along the pedestrianised street.
Survey data also showed that more than 75% of people said the event improved their experience visiting Oxford Street, and more than half specifically enjoyed the additional walking space provided by the pedestrianised street.
Following the success of this event, Khan said he aims to move forward with proposals to pedestrianise the street as quickly as possible.
“These fantastic statistics prove that when people are put at the heart of Oxford Street, without traffic, the area thrives and businesses benefit,” Khan said.
“That’s why I am moving forward with my proposals to pedestrianise Oxford Street and revitalise the area as quickly as I can.”
“By choosing to be imaginative and bold, we can deliver a better future for Oxford Street, a cleaner, traffic-free and truly accessible world-class public space,” he said.
Transport for London (TfL) will consult on changes to highways and public transport that will be required to ban cars from Oxford Street later this year.
