CONCERNED parents and children gathered near a “dangerous” junction in York to highlight the need for a safer crossing.

More than 30 protestors, including parents and children, Knavesmire Primary School’s head teacher Adam Cooper, York Central MP, Rachael Maskell and Micklegate Ward councillor Jonny Crawshaw, attended the demonstration near the junction of Campleshon Road and Reginald Grove on Bishopthorpe Road.

Campaigners have been calling for City of York Council to install new safety measures near that busy junction for a number of years.

Parents claim many drivers do not stick to the 20mph speed limit on that stretch, and that the pedestrian refuge island near the junction is not safe enough. The road becomes a 30mph zone after the junction heading towards Bishopthorpe.

They want a pelican crossing, or something similar, and say new ‘children crossing’ signs could be installed.

Mother-of-two Sarah Fitsell, of Finsbury Avenue, said: “Every time we cross, you can’t see cars coming, they can’t see you, and cars are going too fast.

“There’s no indication that they’re near a school so cars won’t know that there will be children there. It’s just really dangerous.

“We want this crossing to be improved and we would also like a proper pelican crossing somewhere down this end of Bishopthorpe Road.”

Emma Strachan, of Finsbury Street, whose daughter attends Knavesmire Primary, said: “We cross here at least twice a day and with small children you can’t see oncoming traffic so that’s the first problem. It’s supposed to be 20mph but no-one follows that speed limit. It’s an accident waiting to happen. As mums, we’ve all seen near-accidents. My daughter had a near accident. I think most of us who are involved have had near misses. Are they [council] waiting for a child to die before they do anything?”

She added: “Maybe there could be some rumble strips which would slow people down. We need a sign saying this is a school and that children are crossing. The sign near the junction that says 30mph needs to be pushed back because people come out of Bishy Road, get to where the doctors is at the top and speed along here because they can’t see anyone crossing.”

Rachael Maskell MP also believes the junction is “not safe”

“You cannot get a line of sight to see cars speeding down Bishopthorpe Road and cars coming round the corner don’t look and see the pedestrians on the corner, they are hidden from that line of sight and the traffic needs to be slowed,” she said.

“There needs to be a proper crossing put there and that is the only thing that is going to keep the junction safe.”

Head teacher Mr Cooper said: “Since I’ve been at the school from 2007 we have been trying to campaign to get something done here. It gets busier and busier.

“I think the 30mph zone should be further away and I think a pelican crossing or something similar should be positioned further up the hill so you’re not going to get this junction anywhere near it.”