A motorcycle instructor claims "misleading" signs around York could lead to injury or even death for bikers.

Motorcycling instructor Tracy Gee with one of the signs on the York ring road which she believes are a danger Picture: David Harrison

Tracy Gee, of York Motorcycle Training School, said nothing had been done since she and other two-wheel protesters raised the issue with City of York Council 18 months ago.

But the council's highways chief denied it had taken no action, saying three road layouts had been altered and two were awaiting change.

Members of the York Motorcycle Action Group rode round the city in convoy in October 1998 to highlight their claims.

Tracy said they pinpointed 11 sites where the signs were "totally unacceptable".

She added one particularly bad example was a roundabout on Malton Road, where the surface road markings indicated that drivers should use the right-hand lane for Scarborough - but the information board said it was straight ahead.

She had to teach riders to use the right-hand lane, but drivers unused to the road might take the wrong one, leading to a conflict.

"It's very dangerous," she said.

"If someone comes off a bike the injuries can be fatal. You can break a leg at best, and maybe die at worst - possibly because of the road sign."

Tracy said following the previous protest she received assurances from highways chiefs that action would be taken over the worst problems.

"The council has had 18 months to sort this out, but I've had no joy. It's absolutely disgusting," she added.

But the council's head of highways regulation, Peter Evely, said they had looked at the 11 sites and disagreed with the points made about six of them.

They had altered three other sites, including the surface markings at the Malton Road roundabout mentioned by Tracy. Technically the road to Scarborough was straight ahead but the roundabout was unusually shaped and coast-bound traffic should take the right-hand lane.

They intended changing the information board to reflect the roundabout's true shape, but that would not be done until proposed developments at Monks Cross could also be included.

Mr Evely said two more alterations had been delayed to await other road developments in their area.

"We take public safety very seriously," he said. "Sometimes we don't quite agree with other people's points of view but that doesn't mean to say that we don't like to hear them."

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