Shoppers praise Oxford Street pedestrianisation

London mayor Sadiq Khan called it a “momentous day” as almost a kilometre of Oxford Street was pedestrianised, removing buses, bikes, taxis, e-scooters, pedicabs and private cars. Shoppers who spoke to the Guardian welcomed the extra room to walk and browse without being jostled off the pavement, with one describing the street as a really big achievement.

Raquel Cox, on holiday from Ireland, said that despite possible negative impacts on surrounding streets that would become busier, as a shopper it was a better experience, and Abbas Shigival, who runs a souvenir kiosk, said it was a more pleasant environment. Khan said London would closely monitor the changes to make sure they were working for everyone, and described the project as a proof of concept that investing in people rather than traffic leads to better footfall and spend.

The closure came into effect in time for the Christmas shopping period, though a £150m transformation including trees, seating and plazas is due to start taking shape from spring 2027, with permanent plans dependent on feedback and testing in the first phase. About half of the 1.2-mile street is now vehicle-free, roughly from Oxford Circus station to Marble Arch, and many double-decker buses are being diverted into neighbouring roads.

Not everyone was happy. Taxi driver Ben McMullan said traffic was worse on surrounding streets and accessibility a huge problem, while a cyclist stopped by security guards said an alternative route would make his commute longer and that the change would not work for him.

Claire Mann, chief operating officer at Transport for London, said there would still be plenty of capacity for passengers and it should not affect reliability, adding that Bond Street and the Elizabeth Line give a way to arrive in style.