London mayor plans to pedestrianise busy Oxford Street

LONDON – The mayor of London has proposed closing Oxford Street off to traffic in a bid to boost the capital’s prime shopping destination, despite a previous failed attempt and likely opposition.

The new Labour government has backed Mayor Sadiq Khan’s plan to pedestrianise Oxford Street – one of the busiest shopping streets in London, according to a statement from his office on Sept 17.

The idea is the latest in a string of attempts to revive Oxford Street’s in-store visitor numbers after years of decline, hastened by the shift to online retail during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The avenue captured an estimated £3.1 billion (S$5.3 billion) in sales in 2023, according to a report from the New West End Company, a group created to support businesses in the area.

The Labour mayor had proposed a traffic-free Oxford Street in his manifesto ahead of the 2016 election.

But the Westminster City Council withdrew from the plan in 2018, citing a lack of public support.

Oxford Street is an important east-west artery connecting well-known landmark Marble Arch to Tottenham Court Road.

Efforts to reduce congestion along the almost 2km-long thoroughfare include designating it as a bus lane during peak hours and prohibiting private vehicles.

The pedestrian-only plan is likely to find opponents who fear traffic spilling over into surrounding streets.

Other past attempts to inject life into the area have flopped.

In 2021, the local authorities spent millions of pounds erecting a 25m-high mound covered in turf – a supposed tourist destination that was criticised as a tacky waste of money – next to the Marble Arch.

“Given the history of past schemes, it is essential that we move swiftly to deliver this project,” said Ms Dee Corsi, chief executive officer of the New West End Company.

The latest proposals are subject to consultation by the London Assembly, which scrutinises mayoral activities. BLOOMBERG