Buses

DODGING the crowds on Oxford Street could become a thing of the past ahead of new plans to ban all traffic.

The busy London street is taking its first steps to becoming pedestrianised and will partially close to cars in October.

It’s not the first time that Oxford Street has been closed to vehicles – but this will be a move for a permanent change.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan‘s vision is for it to be transformed into a ‘pedestrian plaza’ at the cost of £150million.

At first, not all of Oxford Street will be closed to cars – the plan is for 1km to be traffic free by the second half of October.

Buses won’t be allowed to drive down the pedestrianised area either and will be diverted to other roads.

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The section closed to traffic will be Orchard Street near Selfridges and Great Portland Street.

This area includes the Oxford Circus junction where Oxford Street and Regent Street cross.

Not only will the road be shut, but there will be new seating and planters installed too.

This is a test followed by a review of the scheme which will take place in spring 2027 – work will then start on making it permanent later on in the year.

The end aim is for Oxford Street to undergo an enormous £150million to be completely pedestrianised between Oxford Circus and Marble Arch.

There will be more space for its 500,000 daily visitors to walk around by replacing the roads with paths.

There are concerns though – some locals are worried that the pedestrianisation will push the traffic out into the surrounding areas such as Soho and Mayfair.

Council leader Paul Swaddle has raised further issues including safety.

He said: “At the moment, if you go to Oxford Street at midnight, there are buses, there are people getting night buses – you would feel relatively safe.

“If you were crossing that on your own – if one of my kids was crossing it on their own in the evening, I’d be concerned.”

Other concerns are about emergency services, however unlike private vehicles, they will have access to the street at any time in the new plan.

At least 35 people have been killed and dozens injured after two buses collided on a major highway linking eastern Syria to Damascus.

The crash comes amid wider concerns over road safety and deteriorating transport infrastructure following years of war.

A VERY popular destination in Italy has permanently banned tourist coaches.

The announcement comes after a fatal crash in 2023 – but locals aren’t happy about the changes.

The ban will affect villages along the Amalfi Coast where coaches often take tourists up the steep and windy paths.

The two roads that will be under the ban are the SR 373 which connects Ravello to Scala, and the SR 366 linking Agerola to Amalfi.

The new rules have been implemented following a crash in 2023.

The incident was on the SR 373 and resulted in the death of driver when his tourist bus broke through the barrier on a hairpin bend on the road.

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Afterwards, the regional government temporarily stopped vehicles heavier than five tons from the road.

Now, the Province of Salerno has signed a total and permanent ban on all these large vehicles – including tourists buses.

The nearby village of Ravello which sits high on a hilltop at over 1,000 feet has since opposed the ban.

For years, coaches have ferried visitors up winding roads to the village, and the ban has not been well-received as it heavily relies on tourism.

Instead, it has asked for road repairs, speed limits and permission for service vehicles and public transit to use the roads.

Talking about the ban, Paolo Vuilleumier, the mayor of Ravello, said: “It is unsustainable and doesn’t take into account the dramatic repercussions it will have on the community. 

“Blocking scheduled vehicles means denying the right to mobility to students, workers and residents, as well as decreeing a total halt to international tourism that chooses our destination.”

Ravello is often considered the quieter neighbour to Amalfi and Positano but still sees around three million visitors each year.