Zac Goldsmith and Sadiq Khan unite in call for pedestrianisation of Oxford Street

Safety fears: Zac Goldsmith vowed to do everything possible to make cycling safer
Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
Ross Lydall @RossLydall6 October 2015
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Tory mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith today joined Labour rival Sadiq Khan in backing the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street.

Mr Goldsmith said he would push for “greater pedestrianisation of major squares and shopping streets, in particular Oxford Street” as he vowed to “do everything necessary” to make cycling safer.

It means all four main candidates are in favour of removing traffic from the Europe’s busiest shopping street, as the idea is also supported by Lib-Dem Caroline Pidgeon and the Greens’s Sian Berry.

But Mr Goldsmith, who revealed his thinking to the Stop Killing Cyclists group, said that any curtailing of the 270 buses an hour using Oxford Street would need the support of businesses and Transport for London. “Clearly whatever changes are brought in need to take account of local businesses and the bus network,” he said.

Tory mayoral candidate: Zac Goldsmith
Rebecca Reid

Much of Oxford Street is already limited to buses and taxis. As TfL commissioner, Sir Peter Hendy suggested earlier this year that buses could be axed when Crossrail, which will have stations at Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street, opens in 2018. Concerns have also been mounting about the extent of nitrogen dioxide emissions from diesel buses and taxis on Oxford Street.

All candidates told Stop Killing Cyclists that they were willing to consider the so-called “Idaho law” - allowing cyclists to be able to turn left when traffic lights were red and if no pedestrians were crossing.

Mr Goldsmith vowed to “build on” the cycling achievements of Boris Johnson, including more “mini Holland” bike- and pedestrian-friendly schemes in boroughs, more 20mph zones and a rush-hour lorry ban, as long as this didn’t create “additional risks” at other times.

Labour hopeful: Sadiq Khan
Carl Court/Getty Images

“London’s population is likely to hit 10 million within 15 years,” Mr Goldsmith said. “If many of those new people choose to drive cars, our city will grind to a standstill, our air will be more polluted and people will less healthy.”

Mr Khan pledged a “significant increase in investment for cycling infrastructure” and support for a mini Holland scheme in every borough in his first term. Pedestrianising Oxford Street was part of his vision of “expanding the number of car-free areas across the city”, he said.

Donnachadh McCarthy, co-founder of Stop Killing Cyclists co-founder, welcomed the backing of all candidates for “crucial” safer cycling measures.

But he added: “However, Labour’s Sadiq Khan and the Tories Zac Goldsmith need to firm up their commitments to a safer London, currently too many of their promises are riddled with get-out clauses.”

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