Tonight marks the beginning of a month long trial to turn James Street in Northbridge into a pedestrian friendly precinct by banning all traffic.

The street will be closed between 5pm and 5am on Friday and Saturday nights in a bid to make the area safer.

Officer in charge at Perth Police Station, Inspector Simon Hazell told Oliver Peterson on Perth Live that they are hoping to see a reduction in bad behaviour.

Press PLAY to hear more on what you can expect

“A reduction in that friction that happens when you get pedestrians crowding side walks and also decongest the roadways of cards and the potential conflict between pedestrians, so that’s the goal,” he told Oly.

“It’s an area of the closest density of cafes and licensed premises and we are looking to open this space up – the City of Perth has done a lot of work with restaurants along James Street to extend their alfresco’s on the road ahead of summer.”