TRADERS in Oxford have claimed a “dangerous” junction between three roads is causing chaos for pedestrians and drivers.

Those living and working near to the junction where the London Road meets Windmill Road and Old High Street, in Headington, fear it will take a fatal accident before council bosses listen and make a change.

They claim a problem occurs when drivers trying to turn right from Windmill Road on to London Road find themselves faced with traffic trying to do the same from Old High Street.

And they say the view of oncoming traffic, from Old High Street, is obscured by cars that have taken up a position in the middle of the road while they wait to turn.

The junction was changed by Oxfordshire County Council in October 2007.

Before that, traffic lights stopped vehicles approaching London Road from Old High Street while traffic from Windmill Road went— and vice versa.

According to the council there have been just two reported accidents at the junction since the change, both involving a pedestrian and a cyclist.

But Neil Holdstock, who runs limousine company Absolute Event Solutions in Windmill Road, said: “In the last year I have seen so many scrapes and even more near-misses.

“I have been here for five years, but have only begun to see the accidents since the council changed the crossing.”

Elaine Bellenger, who owns Monaco, in Old High Street, added: ”It will take somebody to die before something is done.”

Headington city councillor David Rundle said a number of people had spoken to him about the problems.

He added: “For right turning cars from Old High Street or Windmill Road there is a very real problem, there is no visibility.

“Cars get caught in the middle of the road and when they can finally can go they try to drive off too quickly, just to get out of the road, making it dangerous for pedestrians who are by this time on the crossing.”

Simon Hunt, a spokesman for Oxford’s cycling pressure group Cyclox, said the junction was “not for novices”.

He added: “The more people that make their voices heard about this, the more that can be done about it.”

A county council spokes- man said the change had improved traffic flow and reduced waiting time for pedestrians looking to cross.

But he added: “Comments have been received regarding the junction.

“The council will review the operation of the signals and see what, if any, changes can be made."”

awilliams@oxfordmail.co.uk