A COUPLE who successfully campaigned for a flyover on the A64 to help prevent a repeat of their son's tragic death now fear their efforts were a waste of time.

Colin and Christine Sanders' 16-year-old son Jamie was struck by a car while running across the dual carriageway in 2001 to catch a bus back to York after finishing work at Bilbrough Top commercial area.

The couple travelled to Westminster last autumn to lobby a Government minister for a flyover, in the hope that other Bilbrough Top workers would be able to use it to get safely to the bus stop on the eastbound carriageway.

But now, on police advice, the Highways Agency has decided to scrap the bus stop, with pedestrians asked instead to walk along the side of the dual carriageway to alternative stops at either Streethouses or the Buckles Inn.

The Sanders fear Bilbrough Top workers will be reluctant to walk some distance out of their way to use the flyover to get to the nearest stop at Streethouses, but will instead take a chance and run across the dual carriageway.

"It's only human nature," said Mr Sanders, of Northallerton. "It feels like our efforts were a waste of time. I'm angry and disappointed."

His fears are shared by local district councillor Brian Percival, who says local residents will also be greatly inconvenienced by the removal of the stop.

"The community of Bilbrough are very distressed about the removal of the bus stop, and are insisting on a safe local bus stop being provided, in practical terms, immediately," he said.

He added that the Highways Agency had said in evidence to a public inquiry about the flyover that there would be a safe and convenient bus stop nearby, and he called for a public meeting in Bilbrough to allow villagers to discuss the issue with the authorities.

An agency spokeswoman said that it had intended to provide a bus stop, but the decision to remove it had been taken after North Yorkshire police had raised grave concerns about the safety of buses emerging onto the eastbound carriageway at that point.

The agency said it regretted the inconvenience caused, but believed safety had to come first. The spokeswoman said the flyover would still provide a safe crossing point for pedestrians from Bilbrough Top to get to the bus stops at Streethouses or the Buckles.

Updated: 10:30 Monday, November 22, 2004