An Auckland pedestrian crossing where two people were struck by a car has a reputation for poor visibility.

A man who worked nearby said safety barriers on an island in the middle of the road – designed to protect pedestrians – may in fact obscure them.

"There's a fence there, but it blocks the pedestrians as well."

Sometimes you'll be standing there and a car will go straight through," Dave Catchpole said.

The pedestrian crossing led to the busy Royal Oak roundabout, which may distract drivers, he said.

The roundabout links five exits, including the main arteries of Manukau and Mt Albert roads.

The crossing had been the site of a least one previous accident over the past 12 months, he said.

"I've been thinking about it a lot, but I'm not sure what the solution is."

A man and a woman were hurt after they were hit by a Honda car on the pedestrian crossing just after 4pm.

The pedestrians were struck near the Royal Oak Roundabout on Mt Albert Rd.

Catchpole said he and others had rushed out to help them after hearing the accident.

"The woman was aware of what was going on, but the guy wasn't too good. He looked like he'd hit his head on the windscreen."

Today an Auckland Hospital spokeswoman said the male pedestrian remained in a critical condition, while the woman was described as stable.

A spokeswoman for Auckland Police said the serious crash unit and CIB continued to investigate the incident.

It was too early to say if the driver of the car would face charges.

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 - Stuff