Part of Oxford Street will be pedestrianised

The London Mayor Sadiq Khan today announced that part of Oxford Street will be shut to buses and taxis.

TaxiPoint can reveal after long periods of consultation Oxford Street will be pedestrianised between Oxford Circus and Selfridge's department store.

The High Street hub of London has long been a concern in relation to high pollution levels. 

Many of London's bus routes relies on the streets to cross east to west and vice versa. There are fears that the neighbouring smaller roads will not be able to handle the increase in traffic and simply raise pollution levels in other areas. 

Oxford Street is seen as a major source of income for taxi drivers and could see three busy ranks disappear along that stretch.

However, new and extended taxi ranks would be created close to Oxford Street to allow Black Cabs to continue to pick up and drop off. When combined with other taxi ranks being built and extended across the wider area, it is claimed the trade would see the total number of rank spaces increase by 20 per cent by 2020. Taxis would also still be able to cross Oxford Street at Duke Street, Stratford Place, Vere Street and Harewood Place.

Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "This is a hugely exciting moment for the capital. Oxford Street is world famous with millions of visitors every year, and in just over a year the iconic part of the street west of Oxford Circus could be transformed into a traffic-free pedestrian boulevard.

“Whether you’re a local resident, a business, or shop in some of the area’s famous stores, our plans will make the area substantially cleaner and safer for everyone, creating one of the finest public spaces in the world. “Alongside the arrival of the Elizabeth Line, the Oxford Street area will be truly transformed over the coming years. We will continue to work closely with residents, businesses and Westminster Council to ensure the plans are the very best they can be, including investing in wider pavements, pedestrian crossings, more taxi ranks and further high-quality cycling infrastructure to support everyone living and working in the wider area.” 

Mike Brown MVO, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: “The next 12 months are going to be one of the most important in the history of the West End. The opening of the Elizabeth line will see rail capacity in Central London increase by 10 per cent and provides a once in a generation opportunity to tackle the challenges of poor air quality and congestion across the West End. Everyone involved in this project has worked tirelessly to design a scheme which would make Oxford Street and the wider area an even better place to live, work and visit. I’m hugely proud of the proposals that are being consulted on and urge everyone to comment on these truly transformative plans for London.”