AN MP has called for a clear start date to A34 safety works 'as a matter of urgency' as 'lives are at stake'.

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran made the urgent plea after a Parliamentary Question revealed there have been 3,412 casualties in five years on the dual carriageway.

The figures, from the Department for Transport for 2013 to 2017, also revealed 45 of these were fatalities.

This week the Oxford Mail has reported on a number of collisions on the A34, most recently a crash in which a driver had to be cut free from their car after being involved in a collision with a van.

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Ms Moran also asked a parliamentary question regarding a start date for the A34 safety works.

The Department for Transport response said: "Highways England is continuing to work on the design of the improvements with the aim of starting delivery in the 2019/20 financial year."

Ms Moran said: "I have been pressuring the Conservatives on this matter for what feels like forever.

"People’s lives are at stake and it must be taken seriously – residents deserve action soon, and a clear start date for the works."

In April 2018, the Department for Transport announced it will fund almost all the recommendations from a safety review of the A34 backed by Oxfordshire MPs.

The recommendations include average speed cameras, improved laybys and digital signage.

READ AGAIN: A34 safety improvements are on the way

The MP said it was 'abundantly clear' that the improvements were needed urgently.

She added: "I am extremely disappointed and frustrated that there is still no clear date for the start time of work, only a vague aim from the Government, and I will be doing all I can to make sure we get the results residents deserve."