Current aerial view of Oxford Circus in London (top), and a proposed layout to the same junction
© AFP/HO

LONDON (AFP) - In a bid to ease crowd congestion and cut out the lengthy traipse around the interchange, people will instead be able to walk diagonally across to their destination in a pedestrian free-for-all.

Barriers and street clutter will be ripped out in a new design based on a busy crossing in Shibuya, the Japanese capital's equivalent of London's West End.

The changes will cost four million pounds (7.9 million dollars, five million euros). Work is due to start in a year's time and take around nine months.

"We want to make it as easy as possible for the 200 million visitors a year who come to the West End to get around on foot," said councillor Danny Chalkley, Westminster's environment and transport pointman.

"The parallels between Shibuya and the West End are stark: apart from both locations being hugely popular, they are also important fashion and entertainment areas.

"These proposals will bring a slice of Tokyo to Oxford Circus, and are part of a whole series of improvements already taking place to ensure the West End looks truly impressive in time for 2012," when London hosts the Olympic Games.

The council launched a nine-week public consultation Thursday to fine-tune the plans.

Traffic light phasing would vary during the day in a bid to keep the public and the busy Oxford Street and Regent Street thoroughfares moving.

Richard Dickinson, chief executive of the retailers' New West End Company, said: "250,000 people enter or leave Oxford Circus station every day so it's essential that their first ground-level view and experience of the West End is pleasing.

"Nine out of 10 visitors to London come to the West End so we have a duty to ensure that it continues to be the world's top shopping destination."

Broader plans involve widening the pavements to accommodate more shoppers and creating side street "oases" for al fresco dining.

©AFP