On tour in Jakarta, Boris Johnson has described himself as “blown away” by the city’s car-free Sundays. Initiated in 2007, these are now held every week and see the main streets of the Indonesian capital handed over to pedestrians and cyclists. Could they happen in London? Johnson told reporters that “we’ve been thinking about it for ages” and that he will “certainly be asking TfL to dust down those old ideas and let’s have a look at them again”. See video clip below.
Good idea. A small problem, though, is that TfL cannot immediately recall having been required to come up with ideas for car-free Sundays let alone allowing dust to gather on them. I’m told a search began last night. If and when anything turns up, I’ll let you know.
Another difficulty is that most of the roads in the middle of London aren’t the mayor’s and TfL’s to close. The Embankment is, and that’s quite often made car-free. Perhaps it offers scope for still bolder innovations - Ken Livingstone once had plans to turn it into a sandy beach every August.
But the great majority of central London roads are the responsibility of Westminster Council and the City of London. Both authorities are receptive to measures that lessen car use and encourage cycling, walking, less noise and cleaner air, all of which are recognised as having benefits for residents, employees and businesses. Implementing them can, however, be extremely fraught.
When Westminster tried to reduce congestion by proposing the introduction of weekend and evening car parking charges on its streets in 2011, an array of people fiercely opposed them, including night workers, clergymen, restauranteurs and actors. Johnson called the plans “completely mad”.
The ongoing debate about Oxford Street also highlights tensions. The New West End Company, which represents the area’s businesses, is opposed to the full pedestrianisation that campaigners, including Lib Dem AM Stephen Knight, favour. Regent Street, mostly owned by the Crown Estate, is enthusiastic about traffic-free days, but some Westminster residents are unhappy that their home streets become clogged when cars are displaced from the main shopping avenues.
Car-free Sundays in London would be modest innovations compared with the major changes some would like to see, but they wouldn’t be a bad place to start. Johnson’s enthusiasm for them is a refreshing deviation from the largely pro-car direction of his mayoralty. Alas, the chances of his actually bringing them about appear quite small.
Update, 11:45 Green Party AM Jenny Jones asked Mayor Johnson in 2010 about London replicating Bogota’s car-free Sundays. His reply is here.
