Oxford Street's heaving pavements could soon be turned into pedestrian "dual-carriageways" to allow office workers and residents to overtake dawdling tourists.
Plans are being drawn up for the pavements to be divided into two, with a "slow lane" next to the shops separated by a line from a "fast lane" by the road.
The idea is for window shoppers and idlers to be kept apart from Londoners trying to walk from A to B.
Link Removed due to 404 Error, who chairs the Link Removed due to 404 Error, said the creation of a fast lane for pedestrians was essential because the Crossrail link will bring an extra 50 million visitors a year by 2020.
"Londoners love coming to the Link Removed due to 404 Error but they often feel that tourists are a bit slow and a bit in the way," she said.
Locals welcomed the idea in principle but said they could not see how it would be enforced.
Pierre Condou, owner of the Paramount Club at the top of Centre Point at the east end of Oxford Street, said: "Yes, there is a problem and personally I avoid Oxford Street like the plague. I usually use a bicycle but if I do have to walk down Oxford Street I'll take a parallel side-street and just pop up where I need to.
"In principle it seems like a good idea but in practice how would it be policed - would there be a central reservation?"
Richard Huntington, director of strategy at advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, based in Charlotte Street, said: "A real dual carriage-way is governed by the Highway Code. It is a bit strange to think there could be a pedestrian Highway Code. It feels a bit like institutional wishful thinking to me.
"It needs to be made a bit more fun than a dotted line, you need something like those smiley faces that light up if you are driving at under 30mph."
But Tony Armstrong, chief executive of the pedestrians' group Living Street, said the idea of slow and fast lanes was "absolutely ridiculous".
He added: "We need to commit to pedestrianising Oxford Street as the first step in creating a pedestrian friendly network in the West End. Surely it would make sense to ban motor traffic from the area rather than create a wacky 'pedestrian motorway' which will put pedestrians in regimented lines and will be completely unenforceable." @-)
Link Removed due to 404 Error
Plans are being drawn up for the pavements to be divided into two, with a "slow lane" next to the shops separated by a line from a "fast lane" by the road.
The idea is for window shoppers and idlers to be kept apart from Londoners trying to walk from A to B.
Link Removed due to 404 Error, who chairs the Link Removed due to 404 Error, said the creation of a fast lane for pedestrians was essential because the Crossrail link will bring an extra 50 million visitors a year by 2020.
"Londoners love coming to the Link Removed due to 404 Error but they often feel that tourists are a bit slow and a bit in the way," she said.
Locals welcomed the idea in principle but said they could not see how it would be enforced.
Pierre Condou, owner of the Paramount Club at the top of Centre Point at the east end of Oxford Street, said: "Yes, there is a problem and personally I avoid Oxford Street like the plague. I usually use a bicycle but if I do have to walk down Oxford Street I'll take a parallel side-street and just pop up where I need to.
"In principle it seems like a good idea but in practice how would it be policed - would there be a central reservation?"
Richard Huntington, director of strategy at advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, based in Charlotte Street, said: "A real dual carriage-way is governed by the Highway Code. It is a bit strange to think there could be a pedestrian Highway Code. It feels a bit like institutional wishful thinking to me.
"It needs to be made a bit more fun than a dotted line, you need something like those smiley faces that light up if you are driving at under 30mph."
But Tony Armstrong, chief executive of the pedestrians' group Living Street, said the idea of slow and fast lanes was "absolutely ridiculous".
He added: "We need to commit to pedestrianising Oxford Street as the first step in creating a pedestrian friendly network in the West End. Surely it would make sense to ban motor traffic from the area rather than create a wacky 'pedestrian motorway' which will put pedestrians in regimented lines and will be completely unenforceable." @-)
Link Removed due to 404 Error
