Oxford is one of the worst areas in the country for being able to cross the road, a damning report revealed today, writes Mark Templeton.

Nine roads in the city and one in Abingdon have been branded among the UK's worst because pedestrian crossings do not work properly or there are no adequate facilities to allow people to cross safely.

The Pedestrians' Association carried out the nationwide survey and found Oxford had almost as many complaints as London and Glasgow. Now the group, which campaigns for better streets, wants Oxfordshire County Council to identify danger areas before fatal accidents occur. Director Ben Plowden said: "Judging by the amount of complaints we received from people, Oxford certainly seems to have its problems.

And people have a right to be worried. We find it amazing that the city, particularly around the railway station area, does nothing to help pedestrians."

One of the crossings highlighted in the report was today branded "useless".

Parents of children at West Oxford Primary School in Ferry Hinksey Road, which is near the crossing, will campaign for better facilities because they say the current crossing is putting kids' lives at risk.

But Oxfordshire County Council has defended itself against the report and said it was always ready to listen when people demanded crossings. Officers were today studying the survey. Chief transport planner Eddie Luck said: "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."

The report also named crossings in Hythe Bridge Street and outside Tesco in Cowley Road, Oxford, as some of the best.

Meanwhile, a new pedestrian crossing will be installed in the station junction area, in front of the Royal Oxford Hotel, starting next Monday.

Work is expected to take three weeks and comes just a week after major delays in the area when the controversial cobbled cycle lane in Park End Street was ripped up and replaced with a smooth surface.