Mayor hails one-day Oxford Street car-ban as start of rescue plan

Over the weekend, London’s famed shopping destination, Oxford Street, underwent a car-free trial. The initiative was hosted as a way to exhibit what the street would be like once pedestrianised, a proposed project initiated by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

For one-day, September 21, the street from Oxford Circus to Orchard Street was closed for cars, and instead became home to the event ‘This is Oxford Street’. Here, brands and organisations took over the street with live music, pop-ups, retail activations and installations, among other things.

Speaking to BBC news, Khan said: “Today is a glimpse to what the future could be like, where this is a place where people can walk. It increases footfall. It increases spend, [it will be a] great place to shop, to do leisure, but also have outdoor events. [Today] will go down in history, in my view, as the day the fightback began to rescue this street.”

Khan first introduced his pedestrianisation proposal back in September 2024, as part of a wider 90 million pound scheme for the shopping street, with the intention of making it a “pedestrian-friendly public space”. His mission is centred around returning Oxford Street to its former glory, after years of turbulence – from the pandemic to the loss of VAT-free shopping for tourists – which has massively impacted the destination’s performance.

In its infancy, various trade and retail organisations, including the New West End Company, expressed support for the proposals. The public then also got behind the plans during a public consultation, for which seven out of ten parties voted in favour of pedestrianisation.

Some local residents have expressed concern over possible congestion of traffic and accessibility if the proposals move forward. To PA Media, Khan confirmed that he would continue to work with residents, the council, retailers, landowners and other parties on ongoing developments.

Khan’s initial plans zone in on closing the street for cars over a 0.7 mile stretch, between Marble Arch and Oxford Street – a slightly larger area than that of the one-day event. The Mayor is also considering extending the car-free zone to Tottenham Court Road.