Part of London's iconic Oxford Street pedestrianised ‘forever’

A stretch of London's Oxford Street was made traffic-free from Oct 26, with pedestrians taking over the street, absent red double-decker buses and black cabs. Mayor Sadiq Khan called it a momentous day for Oxford Street and London, and said he wanted about a kilometre, almost half the street, traffic-free forever to support shops and increase shoppers. The street brings in some £3.1 billion annually, according to the reports, but faced challenges including shop closures during the Covid-19 pandemic and reduced footfall due to online shopping; Khan described its recent decades as managed decline. Pedestrians interviewed backed the move, while black cab driver Jason Harvey called it crazy, citing disabled people and young children. Khan said cab ranks and bus stops nearby keep access easy. Around half the street is now pedestrianised, with the rest to be closed depending on the first phase's success. Selfridges' Meave Wall said work begins to transform the street.

Where accounts differ. The Straits Times reports the black cab drivers' rejection and a driver's claim that disabled people would have to walk 150 yards to reach a taxi, which Malay Mail omits, and it quotes pedestrians backing the move, while Malay Mail does not.

Malay MailThe Straits Times

Written by AI from these outlets' articles: facts they report, claims attributed, numbers checked against the sources. It may still contain errors; read the originals.