The leg injuries suffered by a nine-year-old girl who was struck by a bus as she tried to cross the enclosed bus lane in Manchester Road after jumping over railings again raises serious safety concerns. It follows a similar accident in which a woman was hit by a bus seconds after being seen to climb over the barrier.

The designers of the guided bus lane provided plenty of crossing places. The problem is that they failed to take account of human nature. Some people will succumb to the temptation to cross where they want to, taking a direct route, rather than where they are supposed to if it means going a few yards out of their way.

What a shame, given the large amount of money that was spent on creating the guided bus lane, that this aspect of it wasn't considered.

If people observe the rules, the bus lane should be perfectly safe. Although the councillors who today urged pedestrians to use the designated crossing points are talking a lot of common sense, they may be over-optimistic. It is a fact of life that not everyone will observe the rules. People's impatience is often their worst enemy. Road systems need to bear that in mind.

However, it is not only pedestrians who are at risk from the bus lane. There are junctions along it where motorists can become confused as to where they should go and, if they are not careful, could find themselves coasting along where only buses should be. Improved signposting could perhaps help to avoid some nasty scares and, possibly, even nastier accidents.