Shoppers Welcome Oxford Street Going Car-Free, While Taxi Drivers and Cyclists Push Back

Almost a kilometre of Oxford Street, London's most famous shopping street, has been closed to vehicles, and many of the shoppers who spoke to the Guardian on Monday welcomed the change. Buses, bikes, taxis, e-scooters, pedicabs and private cars have all been banned from the pedestrianised stretch.

The weather was wetter than London's mayor might have hoped, but Sadiq Khan still called the launch a "momentous day". Just east of Oxford Circus, red buses continued to swing around the last junction before the traffic-free section, and crowded pavements left some pedestrians arguing over umbrellas. To the west, people walked freely past temporary bollards onto a green banner declaring the street traffic-free.

Daniel Te, who moved to London from the US in July, was so struck by the scene that he took out a sketchpad to record it. A former city planner, he described the pedestrianisation as "a really big achievement" and said he would normally avoid the street because it was "too busy". With more room to move, he said he was now "more inclined to come". He acknowledged that rerouted buses might make some journeys less convenient, but called that "a small price to pay".

Raquel Cox, visiting from Ireland, said she came after seeing a news item about the change. She accepted that surrounding streets are likely to become busier, but said that as a shopper, "it's a better experience". Abbas Shigival, who runs a souvenir kiosk at the start of the pedestrianised section, said it would take time to judge the effect on his business, though the morning seemed slightly busier than usual. "People are happier because they can walk around," he said.

The closure follows decades of discussion and has taken effect in time for the Christmas shopping season. A larger £150m transformation, including trees, seating and level plazas for events, will begin taking shape from spring 2027. Khan, whose first jobs were in retail on the street, said it had been in decline over recent decades. Speaking at John Lewis, he said greenery, seating and strong public transport links would make for a better experience all round.

About half of the 1.2-mile (1.9km) street is now free of vehicles, roughly from Oxford Circus station to Marble Arch. Many double-decker buses will be diverted onto neighbouring roads. Claire Mann, chief operating officer at Transport for London, said there would still be "plenty of capacity for passengers" and that reliability should not suffer. She added that TfL would monitor any effect on ridership.

Khan said the permanent plans will depend on feedback from the first phase and on testing. He said he wanted the scheme to be "a proof of concept" showing that investing in people rather than traffic leads to better footfall and spend.

Not everyone is convinced. Taxi driver Ben McMullan said traffic was "definitely worse on the surrounding streets, and accessibility is a huge problem". He had already dropped off several passengers who struggled without direct access, including a mother with a pram and a woman with walking difficulties. He feared the change could hurt his business.

A cyclist identified only as Jack, whose name has been changed, was among many riders stopped by security guards during the day. Heading home from a construction job, he said he would ride down the road regardless, as an alternative route would lengthen his commute. He also objected to pedestrianisation on principle, pointing to the number of low traffic neighbourhoods already in place.