A PLEA for traffic islands to improve road safety at a junction where a 73-year-old motorcyclist was killed have been turned down.

Peter Lee, of Bull Lane, off Lawrence Street, York, died when his Honda bike was in collision with a Kia Carens at the junction on the A166 at Church Balk, Dunnington, near York, on Boxing Day last year.

Mr Lee’s brother, John, had hoped to persuade city transport boss Steve Galloway to back the plan for traffic islands which he felt would stop overtaking and would prevent further tragedy. But Mr Galloway, the city strategy executive member for transport, has opted for other measures instead.

At a meeting in the Guildhall, John’s councillor, Roger Pierce, who represents the Hull Road area, said: “John Lee and his sister are concerned that no-one should suffer the fate of their brother. He believes only physical measures will prevent a repeat of the head-on collision.”

But Coun Galloway, the city strategy executive member, turned down proposals for the traffic islands. Instead they got the go-ahead to carry out other, cheaper safety improvements at the junction. He said it had been a difficult decision, but council officers had told him that the traffic islands could be dangerous to cyclists because the current width of the road meant they would create “pinch points” and the council could have problems if its changes were the reason for an accident later on.

“On balance therefore it would seem wise to agree to the revised scheme which depends on visual means to alert drivers to risks. This can be implemented relatively quickly. In my view it is better to do now what we can, rather than adopting a ‘do nothing’ approach,” he said.

He also asked officers to keep the matter under review and “bring forward a scheme involving the use of physical measures should this prove to be necessary”. Officers had told him widening the road to install the traffic islands would be too expensive. Coun Pierce had told him that cyclists were “not a common sight” on the road and that John was concerned they were getting “disproportionate consideration”.

Mr Lee was a keen motorcyclist who preferred older bikes and was known to be a careful rider.