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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Traffic ban to pack in shoppers | Traffic ban to pack in shoppers |
| (about 12 hours later) | |
| London's best known shopping area has been made entirely traffic free for the first time enabling shoppers to enjoy a day out without dodging vehicles. | London's best known shopping area has been made entirely traffic free for the first time enabling shoppers to enjoy a day out without dodging vehicles. |
| Oxford Street and Regent Street was open to pedestrians only from 1030 GMT until 1700 GMT. | |
| The day was dubbed West End VIP Day - Very Important Pedestrians. | |
| Organisers said the traffic-free event brought in an estimated one million shoppers, with some shop bosses reporting increased sales. | |
| Redevelopment plans | Redevelopment plans |
| Oxford Street was closed to traffic from Portman Street to Tottenham Court Road, with Regent Street shut between Margaret Street and Piccadilly Circus. | |
| Buses in the area were also diverted. | |
| Welcoming the initiative Mayor Ken Livingstone said: "The West End is the world's leading shopping destination, and is one of London's key assets. | Welcoming the initiative Mayor Ken Livingstone said: "The West End is the world's leading shopping destination, and is one of London's key assets. |
| "It draws people in from outside the capital and from abroad and offers a range and choice you can find nowhere else. This is never clearer than at this time of year." | "It draws people in from outside the capital and from abroad and offers a range and choice you can find nowhere else. This is never clearer than at this time of year." |
| The idea is part of major plans to draw customers back to London's main shopping areas and challenge competition from increasingly popular out-of-town retail parks. | The idea is part of major plans to draw customers back to London's main shopping areas and challenge competition from increasingly popular out-of-town retail parks. |
| Other plans include the redevelopment of Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road Tube stations and converting Marble Arch into a large public space. | Other plans include the redevelopment of Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road Tube stations and converting Marble Arch into a large public space. |
| More ambitious plans include having a tram link running along Oxford Street. | More ambitious plans include having a tram link running along Oxford Street. |