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London mayor to ban all traffic from city's busiest shopping street

Xinhua, July 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

A plan to permanently ban all traffic from London's busiest shopping street -- Oxford Street -- was confirmed Thursday by the Mayor of London's office.

Mayor Sadiq Khan has put forward a provisional plan to make the street in London's West End pedestrian-only by 2020. Visited by four million people a week, the street is one of the most popular locations for international tourists, who are attracted by its massive range of retail stores.

Valerie Shawcross, London's deputy mayor for transport, told the London Assembly on Wednesday of Mayor Khan's aim to see all vehicles banned for a stretch of almost two km on Oxford Street from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch.

The plan is among measures introduced by Khan to tackle London's air pollution and comes after Khan brought in a charge for the most polluting vehicles entering the heart of Britain's capital.

Cars are already prohibited from most of Oxford Street between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. local time between Mondays and Saturdays. Outside of those hours, and all day on Sundays, the street is open to general traffic. Currently, buses and taxis are free to use Oxford Street at any time.

Shawcross said the first phase of pedestrianisation could be introduced in 2019 after a public consultation exercise, with phase two following in 2020.

A spokesperson for the London Mayor said Thursday: "Sadiq has made the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street a priority as it will contribute to his aim of improving air quality, and it will also make it a far safer and more pleasant place to visit...London deserves an iconic pedestrianised shopping street, and when work is complete, the Mayor believes it will be a truly world-beating environment," adding the input of local residents and businesses would be taken into consideration in the planning. Endit