The Highways Agency was today accused of betraying motorists by breaking commitments to improve safety at notorious Bilbrough Top.

The agency was also presented with alternative, "cheaper" proposals to its £3.9 million scheme for a flyover at the A64 accident blackspot.

The developments come after a week in which the busy junction between York and Tadcaster has seen two more crashes, injuring several people.

Selby councillor Brian Percival claimed that at a meeting in January, the Highways Agency promised it would introduce new safety measures by the spring.

"The undertakings have not been fulfilled in any way," he said in a letter to agency area manager Peter Moffatt. "How can the public trust the agencies when they give commitments to the community and then cannot be bothered to undertake them?"

He said the community was concerned that the agency was effectively raising two fingers to the public's concerns.

An agency spokeswoman said that there might have been a slight slippage in the timing of the improvements, but they were being prioritised and would be carried out in the summer.

Meanwhile, Mr Percival has revealed that alternative schemes for a new flyover at Bilbrough have been submitted to the agency, which he claimed would save taxpayers' money and reduce the amount of land lost.

He said one plan, put forward by Whitbread, owners of the Travel Inn at Bilbrough Top, involved a bridge similar to the one proposed by the agency but with traffic coming down adjacent to the A64 rather than to the rear of the Bilbrough Top commercial development. The A64 would be moved ten metres north under the scheme, and a new road, shielded from the A64 by barriers, would give two-way access and egress to the commercial developments and Colton Lane.

Whitbread said its proposal addressed both safety issues and the needs of local businesses.

Mr Percival said he had submitted a second alternative scheme, similar to this, but with the addition of safe bus lay-bys on the A64 and a pedestrian bridge for safe access to the bus lay-bys.

The agency spokeswoman said that if the alternative proposals were considered valid and were not withdrawn, they would be considered at the inquiry along with the agency's scheme.

Updated: 11:17 Wednesday, June 20, 2001