After yet another suspected terror attack in which a vehicle was used as a weapon, and fresh off of rolling out a new “knife control” initiative, London Mayor Sadiq Khan is now considering banning cars from some key areas in the city.
Speaking with BBC radio Wednesday, Khan said he’s looking into prohibiting vehicles in select areas of Parliament Square. While he said he certainly doesn’t want to prevent people from the “important” ability to have “access to parliamentarians” to lobby them, the string of terror attacks in the area involving vehicles is requiring him to look into clamping down on who can drive where.
“I think there would be lots of challenges if we would do the whole square. It is a thoroughfare for cars, vehicles and commercial deliveries going through London,” he said, Politico reported. “So it’s possible to have a designed solution … in keeping our buildings and people as safe as we can do. And also not losing what is so wonderful about our city that is a vibrant democracy, people can walk around safely.”
Khan’s car control comments come after a suspected terrorist, a 29-year-old British citizen from Sudan, was arrested Tuesday after driving his Ford Fiesta into a group of pedestrians and cyclists on the sidewalk in Westminster, injuring three before crashing into a barrier outside Parliament.
In April, Khan announced that London was creating a “violent crime taskforce of 120 officers” to help crack down on knife-wielding individuals in public spaces. The city is also investing almost $50 million to better equip the Metropolitan Police to root out potential knife-carrying threats.
“No excuses: there is never a reason to carry a knife,” said Khan when he first announced his new knife control policies. “Anyone who does will be caught, and they will feel the full force of the law.”
Related: Weekly Rate Of Acid Attacks In U.K. Hits Staggering Number, Khan’s London Hit Hardest