03/12/2009 09:00:00

A call for the reduction in the number of buses traversing Oxford Street has been made by retailers at the famous London location.

London's Oxford Street is famed for being one of the biggest shopping streets in the south east England city and retailers are now calling for the street to be more pedestrianised.

According to the BBC, shop owners have claimed that the street is riddled with London buses, with over 200 making the journey every hour - something that the retailers have said spoils the experience for shoppers and tourists exploring London's biggest hot spots.

"At the moment with the volume of buses we get it is not a comfortable shopping experience," said Neil Saunders of John Lewis' Oxford Street branch. He also expressed unhappiness with Transport for London's (TfL) current plans to reduce the volume of buses on the street by 20 per cent by the end of 2012, saying that it was not enough.

He said: "Our target is to see a reduction by 2012 of some 40% during shopping hours of 10.30am to 4.30pm."

The broadcaster reports that Westminster Council is behind the call, with Councillor Danny Chalkley stating: "Up to a third of all buses in central London travel through Oxford Street and Regent Street, which is nonsense.

"We need TfL to find a long-term solution which will drastically cut numbers and reduce the choking line of buses which currently blights what is Europe's premier retail destination."