Part of London's Oxford Street pedestrianized 'forever'
LONDON — A stretch of London's iconic Oxford Street was made traffic-free "forever" starting Monday, as pedestrians took over the country's most famous shopping street, absent of the capital's red double-decker buses and black cabs. "This is a momentous day for Oxford Street, but also for London," Mayor Sadiq Khan told reporters on the thoroughfare, one of the busiest shopping zones in Europe. "I…
On Monday, a portion of London's renowned Oxford Street was transformed into a permanently pedestrian-only zone, as motorists were barred from using this bustling shopping thoroughfare. Mayor Sadiq Khan addressed reporters on the iconic street, expressing his commitment to supporting local retailers and making almost half of the street free of traffic.
Khan emphasized that this pedestrianisation would likely boost the number of shoppers, as Oxford Street currently attracts an annual spending of £3.1 billion ($4.1 billion). However, the area has faced challenges in recent years, with some shops closing during the COVID-19 pandemic and a decline in footfall due to the shift towards online shopping.
Khan noted that Oxford Street has been experiencing a decline over the past few decades, describing it as a "managed decline." Despite this, he is determined to prevent further shop closures and job losses on this prestigious shopping destination.
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- Buses out, shoppers in, London’s Oxford Street goes traffic-free freemalaysiatoday.com
- London's Oxford Street goes traffic-free rte.ie
- Part of London's Oxford Street pedestrianized 'forever' koreatimes.co.kr
- London’s Oxford Street bans traffic as city tries to revitalize once grand shopping district winnipegfreepress.com
