Black-cab drivers in Westminster say journeys are already taking longer after the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street forced taxis onto surrounding roads. One driver reported trips towards Paddington taking up to 20 minutes longer due to diverted traffic.
Drivers report heavier traffic on Regent Street
Bahrain Mujagata, believed to be London's youngest licensed black-cab driver at 21, said traffic on nearby routes including Regent Street has become noticeably heavier since the scheme came into force. He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that journeys were taking significantly longer.
“Yesterday, I felt the real-time repercussions—there was so much traffic on Regent Street with nowhere else to go. Sitting through traffic that I used to bypass makes life much harder,” he said.
Concerns over bus stops and cycle lanes
Mr Mujagata described congestion on Regent Street northbound, noting the presence of a cycle lane on the left and a central reservation. He said that when a bus picks up passengers, drivers must stay behind it, adding: “If it’s like that at night, I can only imagine what it’s like during the day.”
He said he was not against pedestrianising Oxford Street in principle but felt the Mayor of London's new scheme was not the best option. “We will evolve and get used to it, like whenever they change a road or turn. But drivers who knew how it was before will always remember,” he said.
Businesses face delivery challenges
Mohammed Essalhi, 31, who works at a crepe shop within the pedestrianised zone, said he believed pedestrianisation would be an overall negative for businesses. “I think our shop will be more popular as more people can come to the street, but I think pedestrianisation will be bad for businesses on Oxford Street,” he said.
He noted that many restaurants and businesses rely on deliveries, adding: “We get our supplies delivered twice a week so this is going to be really hard to organise now.”
TfL responds to concerns
A spokesperson for Transport for London said Oxford Street is now traffic-free between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street, following two public consultations in 2025 and 2026. The spokesperson said TfL has engaged extensively with stakeholders including taxi driver associations, and has worked to locate bus stops and taxi ranks as close as possible to Oxford Street, with additional signage installed.
Designated taxi ranks remain close to Selfridges, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis, and there are five points where traffic, including taxis, can cross the traffic-free area. TfL said further stages will make additional changes to ranks, and it is working with taxi driver associations on changes delivered so far.
TfL said it has traffic modelled its highways changes, noting that Oxford Street will see a decrease in traffic from 26 October. The spokesperson added that a comprehensive plan has been developed with the Oxford Street Development Corporation to monitor impacts on safety, pedestrians, buses, taxis, cyclists, accessibility, environment, general traffic, urban realm, economic growth, and visitor behaviour.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London's office said he had nothing to add to TfL's comments.
