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Cabbies slam plan to ban cars from Oxford Street
PLANS to pedestrianise Oxford Street have provoked an outcry from community groups and taxi drivers in the West End.
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone outlined proposals to replace buses with a tram and banish all traffic from the busy street should he be re-elected.
But the proposals to reroute buses and taxis to neighbouring streets have been slammed as “lunacy” – with taxi drivers fearing a loss of earnings and residents predicting traffic chaos.
Under the plans, which are supported by other mayoral candidates, Oxford Street would be a no-go zone for cars, taxis and buses and part of Marble Arch would be grassed over to join with Hyde Park by 2018.
Bob Oddy, general secretary of the London Taxi Drivers’ Association said: “They’ve been talking about doing this for 20 years. We are definitely opposed to it and will fight it when the time comes. From our point of view, Oxford Street is no longer a viable cut-through because of the buses. But we would rather it was kept open. I can’t speak for bus drivers but I can’t see how Wigmore Street and other roads could handle the load.”
Residents in the neighbouring streets claim their quality of life is being traded off for the potential cash cow of a car-free Oxford Street.
Ron Whelan, from the Mayfair Action Group, said: “If it happens it will be an absolute nightmare. I think the mayor is just bowing to the pressure of retailers and has pound signs in his eyes. People think that Oxford Street is just for tourists and other Londoners but we are stuck with it and the roads are not made for all the buses that already congest the it. It’s a sure fire way for the street to plummet more down-market than it already is and it will be a haven for pickpockets.” |
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