A petition calling for Oxford Street in London to be pedestrianised has been delivered.
It was presented to Mayor Boris Johnson and Westminster City Council by the Lib Dem group on the London Assembly on November 4, and had over 2,000 signatures from across London.
Stephen Knight, the Liberal Democrat London Assembly environment spokesperson, has long called for Oxford Street to be made traffic-free, and last year published a detailed plan setting out how full pedestrianisation could be reached within a five year period.
Setting out the reasons for moving towards full pedestrianisation, starting with the immediate re-introduction of VIP Day (Very Important Pedestrian Day) - which is not taking place this year - Stephen Knight said: “Oxford Street needs to be a place that is enjoyed, yet in practice it is largely endured by most people.
“We need to wake up to the facts. A shopping centre with the highest known concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the world and where pedestrians are knocked down every five days is doomed to decline in popularity and economic prosperity in the years ahead.
“Oxford Street’s crowded pavements are already acting as a deterrent to many older people and families with children. Unless real changes occur many more people will start using other shopping centres.
“If Oxford Street is to retain its position as a world class retail centre it must finally resolve the conflict between its role as both a retail centre and transport link.”
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