London's Oxford Street bus routes cut by 40% - Ahead of Pedestrianisation

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Image captionTransport for London said the reduction in bus routes on Oxford Street would reduce congestion and improve reliability

The number of bus routes on London's Oxford Street has been cut by 40% ahead of its potential pedestrianisation.

Transport for London (TfL) said 23 London bus routes along Europe's busiest shopping street will cut or re-routed.

TfL said the changes would reduce congestion and improve reliability.

But it also admitted some customers would need to change buses to complete their journeys.

The changes to the routes followed a wide-ranging consultation to ensure services were more closely matched to changing demand.

Image copyrightTFL

Image captionHow changes to the Bus network around Oxford Street are likely to affect routes

Buses will be re-routed away from Oxford Street, with some terminating at Park Lane, Trafalgar Square and Tottenham Court Road.

Other bus routes will be extended to maintain connections.

The bus routes affected include the numbers: 3, 6, 8, 15, 22, 23, 25, 46, 73, 137, 172, 242, 332, 390, 425, 452, C2, N2, N3, N8, N15, N22 and N73.

Tfl said it would start to implement the changes to these routes in the summer.

In his election manifesto last year, London Mayor Sadiq Khan promised to remove traffic from Oxford Street by 2020.

A further consultation, likely to include plans to pedestrianise the road, will launch later this month.

Leon Daniels, TfL's director of surface transport, said: "As our city changes around us, we need to ensure the bus network changes too.

"Making sure we have the right level of buses in central London is key to keeping our city moving."

Jace Tyrrell, chief executive of New West End Company, added: "We welcome Transport for London's proposal to reduce the number of buses across the West End, which will greatly help reduce congestion and improve air quality in London's retail heartland."