Cars banned from driving down London’s iconic Oxford Street – but there’s a catch

The famous high street will look very different in the future, and Londoners can get a taste of it next month during one car-free day (Picture: Zuma Press/Shutterstock)

Oxford Street will temporarily become a car-free zone today in an experiment that could be made permanent.

Plans are underway to ban vehicles on the iconic London shopping street for good as part of a long-awaited £150 million pedestrianisation.

Today’s experiment will give people a taster of that as the high street is lined up with stalls, music and food.

The ban, which also includes bikes, will take place between Orchard Street and Oxford Circus from midday to 8pm while the event takes places.

In a statement on the event’s website, it said: ‘For one extraordinary day, London’s most iconic high street will be traffic-free.’

It added that visitors to the event will ‘discover Oxford Street’s vibrant spirit through poetry, storytelling, music, and hands-on creativity’.

The pedestrianisation proposal, revealed in February, will see the high street revamped into a European-style promenade to restore it to its ‘former glory’ after an exodus of shops.

A CGI visual showing what the revamped and car-free Oxford Street could look like one day
(Picture: Mayor of London/PA Wire)

London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, said he wants to ban traffic on the street ‘as quickly as possible,’ but the plan still needs to jump through official hoops to get planning and government approval.

However, not everyone was fully on board with the plan when Metro spoke with shoppers previously.

And Khan’s previous plans to ban cars from the street were blocked by the then-Conservative local authority in 2018.

That has done nothing to deter the mayor.

Where Oxford Street will close to traffic today

This is where Oxford Street will be traffic-free for one day (Picture: Metro)

Announcing the experiment earlier this year, he said: ‘I’m excited to announce our landmark ‘This is Oxford Street’ event which will take place in September and offer Londoners, visitors, and businesses a glimpse of what the nation’s high street could look like in the future.

‘This is a fantastic opportunity to see Oxford Street in a whole new light, traffic-free, full of music, great food, pop-ups and entertainment for everyone. As Mayor, I’m determined to unlock Oxford Street’s true potential and deliver a world-class, accessible, clean, avenue.

‘So add the date to your diary, it’s going to be a fantastic day out as we reimagine the West End for everyone. This Is Oxford Street – vibrant, thriving and back on the map.’

Queues of taxis, buses and bikes will be removed from Oxford Street when the high street is pedestrianised (Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

The plans to revitalise Oxford Street will help boost the West End and footfall, Karim Fatehi from the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry said

He said: ‘We welcome the commitment to work with local businesses and residents to address logistical challenges and ensure the economic benefits are shared by everyone.’

How will Oxford Street look in the future?

The exact designs for the street are being drawn up and will be consulted on later this year.

If all goes to plan, Oxford Street will be turned into a traffic-free area for people, events and activities permanently.

All traffic, including buses and bikes, will be banned between Orchard Street, through Oxford Circus and up to Great Portland Street under the proposal.

When the City Hall asked around 6,600 Londoners this year what they thought of the plan, two-thirds said they supported the idea.

Early CGI visual envisions colourful wide promenade without cars, buses or bikes (Picture: Mayor of London/PA Wire)

The majority of businesses in the area, like IKEA, John Lewis, Selfridges and New West End Company, have thrown their weight behind the plan.

Meave Hall, the executive director of Selfridges, said: ‘Selfridges has thrived on Oxford Street for well over 100 years and we’re hugely energised by the renewed commitment to make this area more enticing and attractive for locals and visitors from around the world.’

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