Oxford Street closes to traffic under Khan's pedestrianisation plan

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 26 Oct, 07:31 · Archive

Almost one kilometre of Oxford Street in London has permanently closed to vehicles, with exceptions for deliveries and emergency services.

Almost one kilometre of Oxford Street in central London has permanently closed to vehicles as part of Mayor Sadiq Khan's pedestrianisation scheme. The stretch between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street is now traffic-free, with cars, buses, taxis, bikes and other vehicles banned. Exceptions have been made for deliveries between midnight and 7am and for emergency vehicles, which retain access at all times. Traffic is being diverted onto nearby roads.

Khan described the move as marking 'a momentous new era' for the capital's high street. He stated that the transformation is intended to revive the in-person shopping experience, boost economic growth and attract visitors. Oxford Street receives around half a million visitors each day and generates more than £3 billion in spending annually, making it one of the world's busiest shopping areas.

The scheme has drawn criticism. Cllr Tim Barnes, Westminster City Council Deputy Leader, said the council was 'extremely disappointed' with the decision and worried it could create 'an unmanaged mess'. He accused Khan of rushing the scheme through to meet an 'arbitrary deadline'. One member of the public described the situation overnight as 'absolutely pandemonium', recording footage of buses navigating the new diversions.

How it is being reported

• Oxford Street bans vehicle traffic as Sadiq Khan praises 'truly momentous' day for LondonSadiq Khan has hailed the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street as the world-famous shopping district closes to vehicle traffic for the first time. From today, Monday, October 26, Oxford Street will be traffic-free as part of the London Mayor's bold ambitions for the iconic road. Removing traffic will be the first step in the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street, with "major improvements" promised over the coming 12 months. The section of Oxford Street between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street will now be closed to private vehicles, buses, taxis, private hire vehicles, cycles, scooters and…GB News · 26 Oct, 09:18
• London's Oxford Street pedestrianised in 'truly momentous occasion for capital'London's Oxford Street is now traffic-free, with mayor Sadiq Khan hailing it "a truly momentous occasion for the capital".Sky News · 26 Oct, 08:33
• Oxford Street goes traffic free: Pedestrianisation sparks fear of an 'unmanaged mess' as Sadiq Khan's controversial £150m car-free plan gets underwayOxford Street has permanently closed to vehicles under Sadiq Khan's plan to pedestrianise the busy shopping hub.Daily Mail · 26 Oct, 07:19
• We’ve made Oxford Street traffic-free – and that’s just the start. Soon there’ll be green spaces for arts and music too | Sadiq KhanWe’ll revive the in-person shopping experience with a transformation of the area, inspired by the John Lewis and Selfridges founders who first set up there Sadiq Khan is the mayor of London At around 8pm on Sunday evening the last car made its way down Oxford Street, marking the start of a momentous new era for our nation’s high street. Today, after decades of discussions and deliberations, the action we’ve taken means almost one kilometre of Oxford Street is now officially traffic-free – just in time for Christmas. But this is only the start of a much bigger transformation, and the first…The Guardian · 26 Oct, 06:00

In this story: Sadiq Khan · Oxford Street · London · Westminster City Council · Tim Barnes

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem