It's enough to make the green cross code man red with anger, writes Mark Templeton.

The simple act of crossing the road is not as easy as it should be - at least in Oxford.

The city has come in for a mauling from the Pedestrians' Association which says a lack of good places to cross the road is making life difficult for walkers and threatening their safety.

Nine areas in Oxford and one in Abingdon have been given the boot by the group for either lacking a safe crossing or having a crossing which simply doesn't do its job.

Its report, Many Roads to Cross, says the crossing crisis restricts safe and easy access to local shops, schools, libraries and GP surgeries.

It also says that half the crossings nominated for the worst in Britain have been reported to the council. But in some cases too few people have been killed to justify a crossing.

Oxford falls just behind London and Glasgow for complaints about getting across roads.

One of the pedestrian crossings highlighted, at Ferry Hinksey Road, has proved a headache for children and parents at the nearby West Oxford Primary School.

"In a word, it's useless," said Ian Thompson, who has a daily trip to the school with daughter Dolly, nine.

He said: "It serves absolutely no purpose and is too far away from the school.

"It takes about 80 seconds for the crossing to come into action once you press the button and we're sure it was only put in grudgingly by the council to shut us up.

"The area is a nightmare for traffic and at the very least they should have put the crossing right outside the school."

Headmaster Mike Jenkins agrees. "We have to rely on our crossing patrol man to help the kids across.

"We're told that the pedestrian crossing was put there because it is linked with the lights in Botley Road. But it simply does not help people get to school at all."

Ben Plowden, director of the Pedestrians Association, which campaigns for improved streets, said Oxford had many problems which were not being addressed.

He said: "If a city which attracts tourists and people, like Oxford, was on the Continent it would be giving priority to pedestrian crossings.

"The area around the railway station is particularly bad and it is madness that you can't come out of the station and walk a safe and straight journey to the city centre."

He is calling for the county council to assess its road network and identify priorities for new or improved crossings.

Eddie Luck, Oxfordshire County Council's chief transport planner, said he was always ready to investigate people's complaints about crossings.

He said: "People are rightly worried about crossings but you can't just put them everywhere when people ask for one.

"It is true that we have not had as many new crossings as we would have liked in recent years, but we have had new funding which should see an extra ten to 12 new crossings this year.

"Preference does have to be given to areas where there is a history of accidents but we will always investigate when people suggest a site to us."

**Do you have a view on crossing the road in Oxford? Email mark.templeton@nqo.com