At the end of a week which saw Oxford Street’s pedestrianisation – and subsequent complaints about an apparent lack of enforcement when it comes to cyclists still using the road – generate quite a few column inches in the national press, 600 riders defied the area’s new bike ban to stage a “peaceful demonstration” calling for safe cycling infrastructure in central London and branding the scheme a “missed opportunity”.

On Monday, a half-mile stretch of the famous shopping street from Oxford Circus and Marble Arch was closed to motorists and cyclists, bringing an end to over a decade of discussion and planning in the wake of protests calling for the road to be made safe following a spate of fatal collisions.

When it was first announced two years ago, Oxford Street’s pedestrianisation, which London mayor Sadiq Khan described as the first step towards transforming the area into a “pedestrian plaza”, was met, initially at least, with cautious enthusiasm by cycling campaigners in the capital, but largely on the condition of safe, alternative cycle routes being designed around the road.

In 2024, the Mayor of London’s office told road.cc that they “will be working to provide alternative routes for cyclists, enhanced cycling provision, and potential cyclist access at night”. London’s walking and cycling commissioner Will Norman also defended the decision to ban cyclists from the street, arguing that the cycling experience “would be extremely unpleasant”.

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The scheme’s first week in action, however, has been marred by a seemingly constant stream of reports and social media videos showing cyclists ignoring the new rules and riding their bikes on the pedestrianised section of Oxford Street, while some London motorists have also complained of increased congestion on surrounding roads.

Any cyclists caught riding on Oxford Street – where anti-terror barriers are set to be installed to police the new pedestrian zone – could face a £160 fine, reduced to £80 if paid within eight days.

Nevertheless, on Friday night, a group of 600 cyclists rode along the shopping street’s pedestrianised portion in a “mass trespass” organised as part of the latest ‘Critical Mass’ protest ride in London.

The ride, which takes place every month in different locations in the capital, forms part of the wider global movement of Critical Mass events aiming to reclaim the streets from motor traffic and highlight the need for safe active travel routes.

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According to the organisers, the protesters simply “sailed through the barriers” with no interference from the security team stationed at the entrance to the pedestrian zone, playing music on speakers as passers-by stopped and filmed.

The 600-strong group contained cyclists riding everything from standard cycles and cargo bikes to tandems, penny-farthings, adapted, accessible cycles, and wheelchairs.

In a statement, the organisers said the ‘trespass’ aimed to highlight “concerns that the removal of motor vehicles from Oxford Street has been accompanied by a prohibition on cycling, without the delivery of adequate alternative routes for the thousands of people who previously cycled there every day”.

Paul, one of the cyclists who took part in the trespass, described it as a “a peaceful demonstration of the continuing demand for safe, direct cycling access through central London”.

“From the very early days of Critical Mass, when it was called the CHARM ride (Cyclists Have A Right to Move), we’ve been asking for all of Zone 1 to be made motor-traffic free,” he continued.

“So this is a welcome step, but pedestrianisation should not come at the expense of active travel. It would have been easy to create a bike lane on this part of the street, with metal fences and calming measures to ensure that pedestrians and cyclists were properly demarcated for safety. It’s a positive development but also a huge missed opportunity.”

“Oxford Street belongs to people,” Marlene, another participant, added. “Taking out motor traffic is a positive step, but banning cycling without first providing safe and direct alternatives along parallel roads either north or south of the closed part is not a sustainable transport policy.

“Thousands of riders used Oxford Street every day, including carbon-free deliveries with cargo bikes to businesses in the area. Cyclists will either continue to use the route, stop cycling, or be forced onto indirect and potentially less safe streets. None of those choices forced on us represents good transport planning.”

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Last week, in the wake of reports of cyclists continuing to use the road despite being banned, the London Cycling Campaign issued a statement saying it is “supportive of the new pedestrianised Oxford Street”.

The campaign group warned, however, that without close and convenient alternative routes, some cyclists will continue to use Oxford Street despite its pedestrianisation, while others will feel forced to divert through Mayfair and Marylebone, riding on “fragmented and potentially hostile routes”.

“We welcome the move to reclaim West End space from motor vehicles and make the nation’s iconic high street far better. And it shouldn’t stop here, making the whole of the West End low traffic should be the ultimate goal,” the LCC, who previously criticised Transport for London’s proposed alternative cycle route as “weak and wiggly”, said.

“However, this issue brings to light the fact that Westminster Council have not acted quickly enough to bring in high-quality parallel cycle routes. Traffic counts show that thousands of people had been cycling along Oxford Street daily, and those riders need safe alternative routes urgently.”