Revolution in the heart of London: Oxford Street to become a pedestrian mall

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced the closure of Oxford Street to vehicle traffic, turning it into a pedestrian mall. A section of about one kilometer will be dedicated to pedestrians, initially on a temporary basis. The move aims to bring shoppers back to the main shopping street ahead of Christmas but has faced opposition from Westminster City Council.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced today (Tuesday) a plan to turn Oxford Street in London into a pedestrian mall. Under the plan, a section of nearly one kilometer on the British capital's main shopping street will be closed to vehicle traffic and dedicated solely to pedestrians. Buses, taxis, and other vehicles will be rerouted to nearby roads. The city council noted that the change will initially be implemented on a temporary basis to assess its impact on traffic and commerce in the area. Khan described the initiative as "a new chapter for the kingdom's famous shopping street" and noted that the move comes ahead of Christmas shopping, aiming to bring back shoppers who have moved online to the shopping street. Khan said support from residents and businesses is strong, but Westminster City Council, which is actually responsible for the central city district, argues that there is still a "long list of open questions" and there is concern that congestion will be pushed to side streets.