London plans to remove signs and barriers, even traffic lights from one of its most famous streets to see if drivers and pedestrians can share the space.

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Whether such a move will be contemplated elsewhere in England will depend on how things go on Exhibition Road, home of the Science, Natural History and Victoria & Albert museums, the Times of London said.

All traditional signals and barriers used to separate the street and sidewalk will be removed and the question of who has priority will deliberately be left open.

The theory is that all street-users are equal. Drivers will be forced to slow down and establish eye contact with pedestrians because they will no longer be able to assume that they have right of way.

Research from the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany has shown that traffic lights and road signs deter road-users from taking responsibility for their actions.