The mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, has confirmed that he is continuing with “bold proposals” to pedestrianise Oxford Street, after claiming a one-day traffic ban significantly boosted the local economy.
Footfall in the West End area was 45 per cent higher on the day when traffic was prohibited from accessing a half-mile stretch of road from Orchard Street to Oxford Circus on 21 September, says CityAM.
Elsewhere, nearly 70 per cent of stores on the street reported similar or higher sales compared to a typical Sunday, with 80 per cent of stores confirming that they would consider taking part in similar events in the future.
Mayor Khan said:
“This traffic free day on Oxford Street was a celebration of everything that makes our dynamic city great and showed the huge appetite for a cleaner, more welcoming and more prosperous West End.
“These fantastic statistics prove that when people are put at the heart of Oxford Street, without traffic, the area thrives and businesses benefit.”
(Pic: Mayor of London)
