I think Barry Lovell (Oxford Mail, June 18) may not be aware that Oxford's Eastern Bypass, from the Old Road flyover to Horspath Road, is the only stretch of ring road which doesn't have a crash barrier.

Why does he think that should be? We have been concerned about the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists for many years.

Of course, I am not aware of high-powered cables running under the central reservation.

I think that Harry Landon and I are writing from an 'ordinary' point of view, not a complex view of the complicated road structures which we know little about.

I do know that gas pipes run alongside the footpath and that, on several occasions, the cycle track and footpath have been dug up to maintain gas supplies.

On the last occasion, the work took several weeks and was, incidentally, only a few yards from the fatal crash on May 28.

Precious young lives are lost every day and it is much more difficult to come to terms with when there are several people involved.

The fact remains that something must be done to that stretch of road. Why weren't the barriers put there when the rest of the Eastern Bypass had them installed?

Perhaps the county council ran out of money. Nothing new, then.

Mary Stiff

Corunna Crescent

Cowley

Oxford