Cyclists defy Khan’s Oxford Street pedestrianisation

Cyclists have defied Lord Khan of Tooting’s pedestrianisation of Oxford Street on the day of its launch. Footage taken on Monday morning showed e-bike riders , Deliveroo workers and others openly flouting the new restrictions. The Labour Mayor of London’s scheme, which was part of his manifesto in 2016, was put into action after he bypassed Westminster council and Greater London Authority planning procedures to push it through. However, videos show cyclists travelling along the central London high street, despite interventions from people appearing to tell them not to. The scheme, which went live at 7am, bans buses, taxis and cyclists from the stretch between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street until midnight. When approached by The Telegraph, Lime said it had made Oxford Street a “no-riding zone”, meaning users who ignore the rules would be met with warning sounds before their e-bike slowed down and switched off entirely. After Westminster council rejected the plan in 2018, Lord Khan created the Oxford Street Development Corporation this year, and appointed eight of the 12 board members. The pedestrianisation has been heavily opposed and labelled as “anti-democratic”. Tim Barnes, a Conservative councillor who has represented the West End ward since 2018, called the process “rushed” because Lord Khan had been “desperate for something he will be remembered for”. He said: “It’s anti-democratic. I feel he’s ignoring the people who know the area best. I’m not just frustrated, I’m pretty angry and insulted. Knowing this is going to happen, our concern is to try to make sure that the good’s as good as it can be, and the worst of the bad is ironed out. “But I’m still really concerned about pretty much every aspect of the way the street is going to manage with pedestrianisation and the impact it’s going to have on everybody in the area.” Mr Barnes, who has lived in the area for 25 years, added that the scheme was an “example of the Labour Party saying one thing but doing the complete opposite when it’s suited them”, because it “didn’t like the answer it got when they asked the people who know the area best”. Crime, however, was cited as a prominent issue in a crowded field of compromises for independent businesses, inefficient public transport and taxpayer burden. Mr Barnes, who became Westminster council’s deputy leader this year, said: “The police have said for quite a long time that they’re not going to be able to offer any significant number of extra officers for the street. “But what we know from London and every other major city in the world is when you have a concentration of pedestrianised areas, you tend to get a lot more theft, pickpocketing and in London’s case, stealing of mobile phones and a large amount of extra antisocial behaviour . “So you need a significantly increased police presence. There’s been a lot of indications that people agree that more security is needed, but not a lot of action in terms of it actually happening.” Mr Barnes said Lord Khan had pursued the project to cement his legacy as mayor, saying: “He hasn’t even managed to meet the housing target he set for himself in his very first election campaign. “He hasn’t planted as many trees as he promised he would. He hasn’t delivered on anything, really, that’s been in any one of his manifestos to be Mayor of London, even with all the years and all the time he’s had.” He added: “So, he’s desperate for something that he will be remembered for. I just think he needs to be careful what you wish for because if this isn’t a success, he’s going to be remembered for one gigantic white elephant project.” The temporary pedestrianisation, which began on Monday at midnight, formed the “first phase” of changes to Oxford Street, according to the mayor’s office. Under Lord Khan’s plans, “real-time data” will be collected on how people use the street to inform plans to pedestrianise it permanently. Two public squares, more than 100 seats, dining tables and more than 50 trees are expected to be put in place by next summer. The plan is expected to cost £150m, but Mr Barnes claimed it was being funded entirely by “public money”. Susan Hall, a Conservative member of the London Assembly, told The Telegraph: “Whether it is attempting to overturn the Brexit referendum or overruling voters in Westminster who rejected the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street, Lord Khan is determined, it seems, to make a mockery of our democracy.” She added: “He has given little consideration to the needs of local businesses, residents, disabled Londoners or those who rely on public transport. “As usual, he is just driving a horse and carriage through proceedings because it is what he wants – damn the consequences, and damn the residents. It is contempt for the public, is what it is.” A spokesman for Lord Khan said: “Following strong support from Londoners and businesses, the Mayor is excited to begin the pedestrianisation and wider transformation of Oxford Street. “The Mayor will continue working closely with the council and all other stakeholders on these plans to create a vibrant, world-class, accessible destination, restoring the nation’s high street to its former glory as we build a better London for everyone.”