Traffic-free Oxford St a hit with shops and shoppers

More than a million shoppers enjoyed a traffic-free West End after buses and cars were banned from Oxford Street and Regent Street for the first time.

Street performances including acrobats, bagpipes and Santas entertained the crowds as one of London's most notorious congestion hotspots filled with people rather than traffic.

Launching the event from the centre of Oxford Circus on Saturday, Mayor Ken Livingstone said: "One day, in the nottoo-distant future, we will be transforming the whole of Oxford Street, with a tram running right down the centre.

"This will make it a much more pleasant place to shop and turn it into a world-class shopping destination to rival the Champs-Elysées in Paris and Fifth Avenue in New York."

Most retailers and shoppers said the day had been a great success, with stores reporting strong sales and huge rises in customer numbers. However, passengers faced confusion as buses were re-routed along back streets. There were complaints that shoppers had been left without directions and were unable to find the temporary bus stops.

Mark Taylor, manager of Boots in Oxford Street, said: "I've been in retail for 15 years and Saturday was one of the best days in retailing I can ever remember.

"The West End was completely buzzing. It would be impossible to get rid of transport in Oxford Street altogether, so I think a tram would be an excellent middle ground."

Jace Tyrell, of the New West End Company, which organised the event and aims to boost trade in the area, said: "It shows what Oxford Street could achieve if it was treated as a destination and not as a thoroughfare."