No more honking horns and din of engines: Oxford St car ban is the future, writes Sadiq Khan

For one extraordinary day, the street came alive with dancing and dining, community and conversation. Instead of honking horns and the din of idling engines, it was laughter and music that filled the air.

Without a constant stream of traffic, families could stroll from stand to stand, their children safe to run and play. Some shot hoops at the NBA stand, while others listened to live poetry and storytelling.

The crowd enjoyed some of the finest food and drink from around the globe as they soaked up the sounds of acts like Annie Mac on the main stage. Inspired by what they’d seen, many of them took part in workshops where they sketched out their own visions for what a pedestrianised Oxford Street could become.

This was a celebration of everything that makes our diverse, dynamic city great – and Londoners loved it.

Footfall was up nearly 50 per cent compared with the previous week, as thousands of people rediscovered the joy of a truly public space. This was a boon for businesses and evidence that the nation’s high street can thrive when people are put at its heart.

Oxford Street is the capital’s beating heart, boosting our economy by £25 billion every year and welcoming more than half a million visitors every day. In recent years though, it has suffered due to a variety of reasons, from the pandemic to the growth of online shopping and retail parks.

Things don’t have to be this way. The event showcased my vision for Oxford Street – full of life, welcoming, and completely transformed.

Following the overwhelmingly positive response from the public and businesses to my consultation on the idea of pedestrianisation, I’m aiming to progress my proposals as quickly as I can.

Later this year, we will be consulting on the changes to highways and public transport required to enable pedestrianisation.

The choice we face is simple. If we opt for caution, conservatism and the status quo we will leave the nation’s most iconic high street languishing in the past.

But, if we choose to be intrepid and imaginative we can deliver a better future for Oxford Street as a clean, traffic-free and truly world-class public space.

The verdict from the Londoners I spoke to on Sunday was unanimous: that is the future they want. Now, it’s time to make it happen.

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Sadiq Khan is the Labour Mayor of London.

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