Sadiq Khan just doesn’t know when to stop and the Mayor of London is at it again lining up his latest hammerblow on petrol, diesel and electric car owners. Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes and raising Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) fees felt like the start of Khan’s real attack on motorists.
This was quickly followed up with ULEZ surveillance cameras, the introduction of fees at the previously free Blackwall Tunnel and a rise in Congestion Charge fees. But Khan isn’t stopping there, with the Mayor keen to rip up the tarmac on one of London’s most iconic streets and closing the door to road traffic for good.
Oxford Street is one of the capital’s most popular tourist destinations, with around 200 million visitors piling down the iconic shopping street every year. But in Khan’s dreamland, the road could soon be closed to vehicles with a pedestrianised stretch between Marble Arch and Oxford Circus.
The plan is expected to cost about £150million and work to alter the street for good could start as soon as the second half of this year. Mr Khan previously claimed the move would restore the area to its "former glory”, with the street becoming one of the “leading retail destinations in the world”.
Axing cars is one thing. But, how will banning buses and taxis, the most accessible forms of transport for tourists, actually help bring more people in? The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport has now made that very point, claiming that disabled people, older visitors and those carrying shopping rely on buses as an absolute lifeline.
The biggest blow to Khan’s mad vision is the Institute's suggestion that the idea could actually “increase congestion” instead of cutting it. They warned that previous examples have shown that the impacts of diverting bus routes were stark.
They argued that reduced accessibility and bus rationalisation tend to lead to a shift towards taxis or private hire vehicles, adding to the number of cars on the road. It means tourists, vulnerable road users and shoppers aren’t going to struggle with their shopping to walk down to the nearest Tube station. If they have the money to go on a shopping spree in central London, an Uber is hardly anything.
The Institute has also warned of the risks around traffic displacement. Simply re-routing HGVs and buses onto smaller streets nearby could cause “safety, congestion and environmental problems”.
The harder you make something, the less attractive it is going to be. There is a distinct possibility that shoppers will just turn away completely from Oxford Street and find somewhere else to do their shopping instead. The internet maybe?
If traffic displacement builds up, the West End will become more congested in weeks, making it harder for visitors to reach theatres and other attractions. Vehicles will still require some access to Oxford Street so retailers can top-up on deliveries and for waste collection.
So why spend £150million plus on a project that could cause more congestion and backfire across the whole of the capital? Residents are also confiused, with Marylebone Residents' Association describing the plan as "dangerous, unworkable and catastrophic" for surrounding neighbourhoods.
Sadiq Khan needs to stop this madness now before he does serious irreparable damage to one of London’s most important areas.