Pressure is mounting on London’s Mayor to significantly cut the number of buses on Oxford Street with immediate effect.
London Assembly Transport Committee chair Caroline Pidgeon says in a letter to Sadiq Khan that Transport for London needs to deliver a sizeable reduction in the number of buses on Oxford Street, but without diverting them on to surrounding streets.
It is impossible to conceive of a pedestrianised Oxford Street until this happens, she said, adding that the thoroughfare “is currently a dangerous and dirty destination for pedestrians with poor air quality and high numbers of casualties”.
Caroline Pidgeon stresses that the status quo on Oxford Street cannot continue. Road safety remains a major concern and levels of air pollution are extremely high. Not only do these trends have human costs but have a negative impact on London's economy, she added.
Her letter also urges the Mayor to conduct a comprehensive review of taxi access into Oxford Street to help those with mobility issues.
She also calls for accurate wayfinding around new Crossrail stations at Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road, better pedestrian access between Oxford Street and Hyde Park and improved cycle routes through the area.
A spokesperson for the Mayor said: “The pedestrianisation of Oxford Street will make this world famous street safer and improve air quality for the thousands of people who use it every day.
“The Mayor recognises that this will be a complex process and has already begun to discuss with stakeholders how best to make this vision a reality.”
In other news the Campaign for Better Transport has called on Government to use the Bus Services Bill, which is currently in the House of Lords, to give rural local authorities the powers and funding to stop rural communities getting cut off from bus services.
The campaign’s chief executive Stephen Joseph said: “Public transport cuts can have a devastating impact on rural areas. If you don't have access to a car, the chances are you are reliant on buses to get you to school, to hospital, to friends or to the shops. If that bus service disappears it can leave whole villages completely isolated.”
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