Pedestrianisation raises users’ fears of bus stops being lost
LOOK IN ON LONDON
Bus passengers fear that any pedestrianisation of Oxford Street could have a negative impact on existing stops and services.
That is one of the messages to come out of initial consultation by Transport for London, Westminster City Council and the Mayor of London on four options to transform Oxford Street by radically reducing the volume of traffic on this key thoroughfare to tackle congestion, which they acknowledge delays bus and taxi passengers.
Although not explicitly spelt out in the consultation, pedestrianisation — part of mayor Sadiq Khan’s manifesto last year — appears to be the favoured option. However, the Greater London Assembly’s transport committee is concerned about the lack of detail in this first round of consultation and has urged the mayor to provide ‘more meaningful proposals’.
The consultation drew over 7,000 individual responses, the majority of them supporting the proposals. In the main, these came from visitors or commuters into the area. Local residents and businesses are less enthusiastic.
Specific worries about bus services include the loss of direct connections and removal of stops to more remote lo…
