Car Free Day: London Lib Dems demand pedestrian-only Oxford Street

12.00.00pm GMT Sat 22nd Sep 2007

Marking 'Car Free' day on Saturday, London Lib Dem MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford joined Geoff Pope, Lib Dem Transport spokesman on the London Assembly to protest about inadequate action on vehicle pollution and call for the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street (See attached photo).

Sarah said:

"Oxford Street is vital to London's economy. But we should encourage this rather than cramming people onto crowded pavements and poisoning them with dangerous traffic fumes."

"The EU now can force Ken Livingstone to take action and clean up our streets. New European air quality laws will crack down, for the first time, on pollution from the dangerous small particles spewed out from exhausts which cause respiratory and heart ailments, thrombosis and stroke."

Geoff said:

"Replacing all Oxford Street buses with a tram scheme will transform London's premier shopping street. Congestion and pollution would be reduced and the street environment enriched."

"The Mayor may love to see himself as a green champion but when it comes to delivering the changes that will make a difference to Londoners' health, it's delays and dithering all round. Now the Mayor's discussions on options to improve Oxford St won't even be completed until the end of 2008, despite our launching the idea back in 2004."