SAFETY campaigners have challenged highway bosses to come up with a solution for a junction they consider a 'death trap' after new figures revealed traffic has increased by up to 21 per cent.

An elderly man on a mobility scooter was killed at the Five Lanes End crossing between Sussex Street and Firby Road in Bedale in 2012 with a car ploughing into accommodation for elderly residents on the same corner months later.

Since then appeals for something to be done at the crossing have been stepped up with a 1,000 signature petition calling for action. But after a series of investigations highway bosses said earlier this year without “significant financial investment” it would not be possible to introduce further road safety measures.

Campaigner Brian Hall said all the most vulnerable people in the town, from children to the elderly, cross the junction with the doctors' practice, primary school, leisure centre, elderly residents bungalows and health centre all concentrated in that area.

Through Freedom of information requests, which were eventually released after an appeal to the Information Commissioner, new figures have been revealed which show between 2010 and 2015 traffic on the road increased from an average of 4,484 vehicles a day to 5,224. This gave an average rise of 16 per cent with an increase of 21 per cent at peak time in the morning and 17 per cent in the afternoon.

“This shows how serious it is, and this doesn’t even take into account the large numbers of new houses which are being built. There are at least 600 new homes due over the next few years,” said Mr Hall.

“The council say the road layout had nothing to do with the accidents, but both happened at Five Lanes End. There have been no crashes on that scale anywhere else in Bedale. People are dicing with death crossing that road, so many elderly people use it. One lady is 99 and she’s using it twice a day.

“It really is time that the council did something, constantly coming back saying nothing can be done is nonsense, it is simply a question of the will to do it.

"They need to look at traffic calming and action to reduce speed. It is a death trap, people need a safe place to cross."

North Yorkshire County Council said it had given thorough consideration to the proposals for improvements at Five Lanes End.

"We have also undertaken some effective safety measures," she said. "However, as highways authority we have to work to priorities set out in our local transport plan to manage and maintain the network and undertake road safety improvement scheme at sites of greatest priority.

"In this respect Five Lanes End does not qualify for an accident reduction scheme and capital funding has therefore not been allocated during 15/16 and16/17 financial years."

She added that the county council had "made every effort to disclose information through freedom of information on this issue and gave a full apology for an oversight in supplying information in 2013". A further FOI request received in March 2015 was answered within 14 days.